Rebellion
by Ominae
Summary: Equatorial Union citizens, after its government announced its alliance with OMNI, protested against their actions in huge numbers. Factions from the Equatorial Union military plan to depose the current government in a covert rebellion.
1. Sparks of Hatred

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED/Kidou Senshi Gundam SEED: Rebellion 

By: Ominae

Rating: T

NOTE:

Concept of the Gundam SEED series are under the copyright of Mitsuo Fukuda, Bandai and Sunrise. All other characters and technology (weapons, vehicles) are under my jurisdiction.

To all readers:

- Since this is my first time to venture into GSEED fanfic writing, I'd like to thank some authors for making this possible. I'd like to thank Solid Shark for his stories that inspired me to do my own. Next, Kira of the Skies gets my thanks for writing about the Equatorial Union and since Fukuda-sama (Should I say it or Fukuda-san since there are some things that I didn't like, but I'll thank him for coming up with SEED. Don't flame me for the last part, please!) didn't explore the region and such, this is my take on it. Kouryuo Sabre get another thanks from me for doing a great job in doing the remake of GSEED with a plus for Kira/Natarle! Finally, RVD is the man who I should thank for coming up with the idea of a group of non-GSEED personnel to play a role in the 1st Bloody Valentine War. Hey R, I'll do the story that I told you a year or so ago, but maybe not in this category, 'kay? Hey you guys, kindly critique this and see if the storyline's good.

Well, better stop rambling on and get on with the show. If you're expecting this to show off Gundam SEED characters, you're dead wrong. But you'll see references of them instead. Don't worry, they might show up in the last parts of the story (and depends on how I'm going to execute it). Oh yeah, I'm doing this together with my other Spriggan story called Unknown Object. If any of you like Spriggan fanfics, please review it too. Thanks and have a good day.

The storyline is inspired by the coup attempts and rebellions of the Philippine military as its basis (The 1989 ones, not the modern ones! Those guys are blasphemizing the spirit of the EDSA Revolution!) with additions from Tom Clancy and the ongoing 2006 Israel-Lebanon Crisis between the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and Hezbollah as noted in this chapter only for the latter (Mind you, I don't support groups like them! They should have disarmed a long time ago). Good luck for the UN to end this crisis and godspeed to foreign nationals stranded in Lebanon, with emphasis to my countrymen. Hope they'll make it through. The story will be dedicated to them and to their safe exodus from the _battlefield _itself.

Summary:

Equatorial Union citizens, after its government announced its alliance with OMNI, protested against their actions in huge numbers. Factions from the Equatorial Union military plan to depose the current government in a covert rebellion, replacing them with an anti-OMNI government. Will the instigators be able to launch their coup attempt successfully? A Mobile Suit Gundam SEED story.

Chapter 1: Sparks of Hatred

Somewhere in the Philippines, Equatorial Union

It was a few days until the end of September, 71 Cosmic Era. A Filipino teen of Chinese-Japanese heritage, appearing to be 18 years of age, was seated in the room of his house somewhere in the Corinthian Gardens subdivision, watching the latest news from the Equatorial Union News Network or otherwise known as the EUNN for short. He was alone in the house with most of the lights inside dimmed since it was an early morning in the Philippines, a former pearl of the orient.

**"More protests have begun in various parts of the Equatorial Union, just days after the President had announced in a televised speech that pledged his backing to the OMNI Enforcer with another televised speech backing the OMNI's invasion of the United Emirates of Orb." **In the bottom of the screen, he read that the OMNI stood for Oppose Militancy and Neutralize Invasion, something that he had already heard off screen. The teen sighed when he heard this; news about the protests have already been making headlines on Equatorial Union, though it had also reached the shores of other countries from the Atlantic Federation to the Orb Union. The PLANTS have even caught wind of the current situation that Equatorial Union leaders are facing right now.

**"Security forces have opened fire on protestors after one of them have lobbed a molotov cocktail on riot police, leaving dozens dead. Riots have continued on parts of Afghanistan, Brunei, East Timor, India, Malaysia, the Philippine and Singapore as a retalation to their deaths. A curfew is currently instated and is scheduled to end at 5:00 P.M. later on."**

Glancing at his watch, he noted the time was currenlty at 4:30 P.M. in the afternoon. He continued to watch the news when he heard the wireless phone ring.

**"Hello." **said the teen, answering the phone.

**"Staff Sergeant Chung. You've been ordered to head to the Jesus Villamor Air Base at 1800 hours as instructed."**

**"Understood." **The teen acknowledged the call and asked, **"will I be embedded in my unit?"**

**"Yes, of course."**

**"All right, thanks." **Replacing the phone at the cradle, he began to pack some light clothes in his backpack before staring at the picture frame that showed him and his parents. During a vacation at the Orb Union, he was caught in the crossfire when OMNI army units bombarded the countryside while he and his family were trying to get to a neutral evacuation center. The teen was lucky that he made it, but his parents didn't. Even though it was the case, the boy was evacuated safely to Equatorial Union territory. From that day on, he swore revenge on the Earth Alliance for _taking _his family away from him. After hostilities have started, the entire Equatorial Union military have been placed on standby for rumors that anti-government protestors will use the Orb Union situation to make their case known. The standby alert has been called off after learning that the rumors were false.

The boy, currently in National Service of his second and final year, was embedded with the Equatorial Union Guards, scheduled to move out to Singapore from its base at Camp Fidel Ramos in Quezon City with his unit, the 3rd Guards Battallion moving out for a supposed exercise. He now realized that he was being called as his first duty as a National Service Full-Time conscript after his vacation.

With his wireless phone ringing again, he took it with his left hand and answered his call.

**"Hello?"**

**"It's me, son."**

**"Major?" **The teen was a bit stunned. **"What is it?" **

**"I heard you're moving in to Singpore for a field exercise."**

**"Yes, sir. It's supposed to be for a week. Part of my conscription. I'm currently heading to Villamor before I fly out with the other NSF guys" **_Is it about the plans?_

**"I see. Well, I'll be looking forward to see you at Singapore."**

**"Of course, Major. I'll see you soon."**

**"Good luck on the flight, Richard Yamato Chung."**

* * *

Newton Food Centre, Singapore, Equatorial Union 

A man in his late '30s wearing civilian clothes and a ballcap was in one of the seats in the center of Newton Food Centre in Singapore, one of the former nation's most famous tourist spots for its hawker stalls in the afternoon. He lighted a cigarette that he took out of his pocket a few minutes ago before seeing someone approaching him.

"There you are Rick." calling the teen by his nickname, shaking his hand before removing his cigarette and extinguished it. "I'd know that you couldn't resist the invitation of getting yourself here."

"Haven't eaten here for a while now." Rick took his seat. "So what's to eat?"

"Eating my usual." The man used his chopstick to point out his food. "I'm eating the Char Kway Teow." He pushed a plate in front of him. "Here, got you Wanton mee noodles."

"Okay." Grabbing the chopsticks from him, he began to eat away at the meat toppings of the food before asking the man, "So why am I here?"

"It's about the _plans_." The man said after swallowing his food. "You heard about the President declaring his allegiance to OMNI and the protests and riots that followed after his speech."

Rick nodded, "Yeah. A lot of people got killed. So what's your point in all of this?"

The man leaned and him and whispered. "Some of the officers in the army, navy and air force are planning a coup attempt to depose of the President and install a leader with anti-OMNI leaning."

"Anti-OMNI leanings? A coup? Won't that get us in trouble again with the tub of lard in the Atlantic Federation?" hissed Rick, having swallowed his noodles.

"This leader, of all points, is against the nation's alliance with OMNI and is part of the opposition. Remember Gabriel Luna?"

"Isn't he head of the opposition who exiled himself to the Oceania Union in Australia when he made anti-goverment opposition from the speech with some other opposition MPs?"

"The same." He went to sip some Tiger beer on a plastic glass. "He's the head of the opposition and though government media blasted him as a radical, he defected from the government party as a show of disgust for _violating _our neutrality by joining with OMNI."

"So Mr. Luna's gonna be the figurehead of the next goverment in case we overthrow President Chua." Rick scratched his head. "But why are you speaking to me? I don't seem to be a leader for the inner circle."

"Worry not, my friend." The man patted Rick's shoulder. "I just want someone who could unite the NSF men who want to join in the revolution."

"I understand." Rick let his eyes travel left and right. "But weren't you being followed from intelligence?" _Wonder if the guys from National Service Full-Time would take this?_

"Not a chance." chuckled the man. "DMI boys don't have a good lead against me." He was referring to the Directorate of Military Intelligence, the Equatorial Union military's intelligence organization created by veteran agents from South and Southeast Asia countries after the Equatorial Union was formed. The agency was on standby after the initial coup rumors had started, but had died down afterwards though the agency was _ready _to quash any coup attempts.

"But how is it going to start?" Rick again was confused. "Whose with you guys anyway?"

The man nodded, understanding his frustration. "We've got support by some figures from all branches of the military. In fact, most of the conscripts embedded in army, navy and air force are sympathetic to our cause after knowing what happened to the Orb Union."

Rick pointed to himself. "So you called me here because you want me to unite those who want to fight against the president?" The man nodded at him. "But what about those from DMI? Won't they be able to gang up on us?"

"I got supporters working in the DMI. They'll let us know if they're onto us anytime soon."

"And the police?" Rick heard another chuckle from the man himself.

"Don't worry. Some of our supporters are also from the police force as well. They'll help us when the right time has come for us to launch our revolution."

"That's a good one, I guess." Rick went on to finish the rest of his food before the man finished his.

"I've got to go." The man glanced at his watch and stood up. "So are you up to it?"

"I am, sir." Rick shook the man's hand. "After what those OMNI bastards did to me and my family in Orb, I'm willing to go along and make history."

"Splendid." Taking the sunglasses tucked in his pants pocket, he wore it and smiled at him before taking leave. "Let me know how things will go, okay?"

"I will, Major Jack Bauer."

* * *

Equatorial Union Guards Training Camp, Pulau Ubin, Singapore, Equatorial Union 

"Take a break, guys. I have some things to say."

Leading his comrades to sit deep in the jungles of Pulau Ubin, Rick figured that he would be safer from curious ears after his fellow NSF conscripts settled themselves on the ground, rifles and medium-sized field packs off their arms and shoulders after marching around the island as part of their exercise. They were all wearing green shirts with their Equatorial Union flecktarn pants, its camouflage pattern copied from the former German Flecktarn with some modifications that had all the colors except replacing the rust-red pattern with an all-brown pattern. They were carrying SAR-24 assault rifles, the descendant of the original SAR-21 assault rifle made by Singapore Technolgies (ST) Kinetics, the current makers of the SAR-24.

"I'm sure you guys have heard about what recently heard to the Orb Union after OMNI launched a ground invasion of the neutral nation and its forced occupation."

"Yeah!" shouted the NSF conscripts.

"I got some family back there. I'm worried about what happened to them." voiced Jouji Kojima, a conscript of Japanese descent with concern in his face.

"Just because Orb says no way doesn't mean you have to invade them. It's like when the US invaded Iraq back in 2003." said Hamid Abbas, an NSF conscript of Palestinian descent. Heads were nodding in agreement. He happens to be the group's shadow executive officer and friend of Rick.

"Personally," Clark Yeo, a Singaporean-born conscript, raised his hand. "I'm disgusted after the president pledged his allegiance to OMNI. Just violates our damn neutrality."

After all of them shouted their agreement. Michael "Mike" Clark, an NSF conscript of Canadian descent, said, "Guess this means we can say goodbye to our neutrality stance and start taking sides after all."

"Can't we do something about this? I mean, has the opposition been doing its job on grillling the president down?" Miguel Antonio, a conscript of Cuban descent, waving his hand around to get people's attention.

Jamie Kemp, a British-born conscript, smacked him at the rear of his head, "Idiot! Didn't you forget that he exiled himself to the Oceania Union due to threats made against him? Media suspects that either DMI agents or government supporters were the ones who called Mr. Luna."

Rick raised his hands, making everyone go quiet. "Fellas, this is why I gathered you all here." Moving his head left and right to make sure no one was watching him, he spoke with his fellow NSF comrades on his thoughts. "You remember the rumors that some officers were trying to launch a coup attempt?"

Seeing his colleagues nod at him, Rick explained himself. "A supposed coup is going underway. Now the members of this little _party_ has embedded itself in the army, navy and air force with some supporters in the DMI. Now all they're asking from me is to see whether you guys are willing to support it."

"I've got a question." All the NSF conscripts turned around and faced Alec Valencia, a Philippine-born conscript. "You see, we have to be certain if we all want to join in this little revolution of the officers and sympathetic civilians. Next, even though all of us are suppose to stay in the barracks, one or two of us might squeal even if we all want to join in. Also, we haven't faced any war of some support to this date. We're just like Ireland, Singapore and Switzerland for instance." Loud whispers came from the collected group again, some even saying that they're not sure if they should join in the rebellion or not at all.

Rick paid attention to his words. _He does have a point. _He was classmates with Alec in his high school back in Manila and went through conscription training together and the two were embedded in the 3rd Guards Battallion together before he took a vacation to Orb for a month when the country was besieged by OMNI forces. As such, he was one of those people who he considers as a friend.

Rick also remembered that after the speech and the riots, they were already some resentment coming from conscript and full time soldier alike, not to mention some of the officers. He also remembered that Major Bauer told him that the resentment eventually lead to talk of deposing the president and replace him with a leader who could stand for the nation against _bullying _tactics coming from OMNI.

"I realize that this could be the first time that we've fired our weapons outside of our conscription training," Rick said, taking his freind's points very seriously. "but we've been trained for the time that we have no choice but to pull the trigger of our very own rifle in our hands. This is the time that we'll make history for our nation."

Clenching his right hand to a fist and raising it adjacent to his chest, he emphasized his point again.

"You're all aware on the president's televised speech, declaring his allegiance to OMNI. More specifically, to those tub of lards sitting their asses off in the White House from the Atlantic Federation, grinning while watching the Orban Defense Forces suffer for not joining their little gang. You've all watched the protestors being gunned down by security forces after making protests about the speech. They said a protestor tossed a petrol bomb into the riot police. But you know what the truth is?" Seeing that his comrades are waiting for an answer, he continued on. "A DMT agent infiltrated the ranks of the protestors and threw that petrol bomb that started the shootings."

Loud murmurs came from the gathered conscripts, with Hamid raising a hand. "Strong allegations you got there, Rick. But how we know about this?"

Reaching into his field pack, he gathered a folder with the seal of the DMI. Consisting of two swords in a green circle with the symbol of the Equatorial Union, in the form of a the Merlion holding a sort of orb as most of the nation's creation was first based in Singapore.

"You're right." Hamid opened the folder and browsed through it. "This transcript proves it right."

"What right?" said Mark Rono, a conscript of Kenyan descent.

"That the DMT did instigate the eventual riots." Hamid passed the folder to him. "It's the genuine article."

Clark took the folder from Hamid and studied the folder and papers, checking the insignia of the DMI. "It's a real DMI report. Did Major Bauer get this from his supporters in the DMT?"

Gasps came from the conscripts, not believing what he said once more.

"The Major Bauer? Didn't he fight with ZAFT after Junius 7 was attacked by OMNI in the early days of that skirmish?" questioned Jamie, a bit surprised after hearing the name.

"The very same." answered Clark. "You all know he decided to join with the Equatorial Union army after immigrating here, right?"

Rick simply nodded. Satisfied, Clark haded the closed folder to Mark, who took it from him.

"When did Major Bauer get this report? Usually, DMT reports like this aren't even suppose to be given to civilians unless they're declassified." asked Mark, reading the transcript himself.

"Major Bauer told me a while ago that the sympathizers were able to avoid detection when they secretly made a copy of the report.." answered Rick, understanding his curiosity and concern. Seeing that the NSF conscripts were nodding, Rick was a bit satisfied.

"So what say you?" Rick was now asking his fellow conscript a question that could shape the history of the Equatorial Union. "Will you join in a revolution that would change the face of history for our country or will you rather stay in the barracks and live instead to see ourselves being pushed around by the bastards of OMNI and their Blue Cosmos backers? This is your chance to make history not only for the good of our nation, but for the good of all our people."

Rick didn't need to wait any longer for a reply from his NSF peers. Within minutes, his group erupted into cheers and shouts, cheering for Major Bauer and for Rick and mostly especially, cheering for a change in their nation's history.

* * *

"What's that?" asked the first soldier, hearing the shouts from the NSF conscripts. 

Far away from the conscripts embedded with the 3rd Guards Battalion, a few Equatorial Union soldiers manning the camp heard loud noises coming from the forest.

"Forget it." shrugged the second soldier. "Probably making some jokes or telling some funny story to get their minds off from thinking about the upcoming training exercise soon."

The first agreed with the second, "Yeah. You're probably right."

* * *

Somewhere in the Downtown Core Area, Singapore, Equatorial Union 

Now being given some time of leave from their barracks, most of the 3rd Guard Battalion conscripts decided to hit town and hang out for fun as it was now the weekend for some rest and recreation.

Rick Chung was an exception for the group since he told them that he needed to go to an internet cafe and use the internet for a while. But little do they know that he had plans to make contact with the leaders of the planned coup.

Getting inside an internet cafe that he found on his way to the Funan DigitaLife Mall, Rick was taken to sit at a vacant table where he connected himself to a Yahoo Messenger program installed in his computer.

_Hope the major's here. _Rick logged into the net and typed _TogusaSection9 _as his nickname before he went to send an instant message. Minutes later, he got a reply.

**"How are things back there?" **Rick saw the reply from _Veteran1_; he recognized the name as Major Bauer's alias when he was on the net. The two were on friendly terms and he saw him as a father figure when Rick entered conscription training after finishing his high school education at 16 and graduated at 18 before his parents took him to Orb on vacation before the ill-fated invasion of the island nation. Rick sweated a bit; he realized that he was reenacting a scene from Shiri, one of his pre-AD Korean movies that he watched when he was in his high school years.

**"Things are fine back in Pulau Ubin, sir." **Rick typed the reply and had it sent back to _Veteran 1_, earning him a quick response.

**"Do they agree to join up with us or not?" **

Rick quickly hammered out a reply to the Major.

**"Yes. In fact, all of them are readily committed to the cause."**

**"I see." **The cursor halted before typing out the rest, **"That would be very useful to us. I'll alert the others on this after we end connection."**

**"Thank you very much, sir."**

Opening a can of regular Coke, he sipped its contents while he waited for a reply. Minutes later, the chat box had prompted to look at it as it had a message on it already.

**"For the revolution."**

Reading the message displayed on his screen, he felt a bit glad that he was about to partake in an extremely dangerous mission that would change the history of a country.

**"For the revolution."**

Drinking the open Coke can, he clicked the send button on his monitor. _If only I could speak with cousin Kira with uncle Hamana and aunt Caridad on this matter. But I'm sure they'll talk me out of this._

From then on, Rick realized that his action could make or break the history of the Equatorial Union.

Staring at his left hand, he flexed it before he opened it. Peering at his thoughts, he wondered if he was doing the right thing for himself and for his countrymen.

_I know that it might spell trouble for me and my family, friends and country. But I have to do this._

Clenching his fist tightly, he had already made his decision.

_I will join in the revolution to free our countrymen for our so-called president._

Chapter 1 END


	2. First Strike

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED/Kidou Senshi Gundam SEED: Rebellion

By: Ominae

Rating: T

NOTE:

Concept of the Gundam SEED series are under the copyright of Mitsuo Fukuda, Bandai and Sunrise. All other characters and technology (weapons, vehicles) are under my jurisdiction, with some exceptions.

Summary:

Now that Rick Yamato Chung and his NSF (National Service Full-Time) conscripts/friends have agreed to join in the planned rebellion to overthrow their president, the revolution is now going underway. What are the first steps will the revolutionaries take to achieve success? Will they encounter any obstacles on the way? Stay tune to this chapter to find out.

Chapter 2: First Strike

Outside EUA Equatorial Union 1st Guards Battalion HQ, Kranji Camp, Western Water Catchment, Singapore, Equatorial Union

"Okay, guys. Here we are."

Rick Chung and the rest of the NSF conscripts embedded into the 3rd Guards Battalion were now sent to the Equatorial Union Army (EUA)'s Equatorial Union 1st Guards Battalion HQ, formerly used by the Singapore Guards' 1st Guards Battalion of the former Singaporean military, all dressed in standard Equatorial Union military gear with ST Kinetics SAR-24 rifles and field packs with their red berets. Like most of its member countries, Singapore had to close down most of its bases as the integration of most South and Southeast Asian nations did not require that much military bases as the landmass gave an opportunity for each country to manage a certain number of military bases. Since Singapore felt that it didn't have to burden itself with having a lot of bases, most of them were eventually closed after the declaration of the creation of the Equatorial Union, leaving only a few to serve as bases for the Equatorial Union military.

"So what now?" patted Hamid, Rick's shadow executive officer and colleague. "Are you sure we can do it?" He said the question in a whisper.

Reflecting back, Rick did meet up with Major Jack Bauer and a few Equatorial Union military officers who have secretly decided to go rogue.

* * *

_The previous day._

_Somewhere in Woodlands, Singapore_

_Rick and Hamid were inside a mansion belonging to one of the rogue officers from the Equatorial Union army after pledging his support to Major Bauer, one of the planned rebellion's main leaders. All of them were wearing various kinds of civilian clothing and were seated at the living room's couches._

_"Our operation will be called Operation Heliopolis." Major Bauer took a Cuban cigar from his shirt pocket and made a cut at the tip of the cigar before lighting it. Before the debriefing started, Rick and Hamid realized that Major Bauer was of American descent._

_"Hold it, Major." Rick raised an objection. "Why are we naming this operation after the ex-Orb colony Heliopolis destroyed a year ago?"_

_"It's to honor those who couldn't evacuate in time when ZAFT commandoes raided the colony and second, it's to remind people that collaborating with OMNI may not be in the best interests of everyone. Any questions?"_

_Seeing that Rick or Hamid didn't wish to raise any more points, the Major went on to discuss their plan. He ruffled his right hand on his blonde hair since his left hand was holding his cigar before pulling out a map of the Equatorial Union._

_"First of all, our guys in the military's MP (Military Police) units will simultaneously break into various bases in Singapore, Philippines and Indonesia to get the needed weapons for us. Our civilian supporters will support us with the needed items. The signal for this to start is **Time for Dinner. **After that, we'll need to obtain some military ordnance and hardware for us to strike against loyalist units in the military by striking them first before they have time to react. This stage will be a combination of raids by most of our sympathizers in the various regular and special forces units. The signal for this is **Begin Tightrope.**" During the discussion, Major Bauer pointed out to the assembled people in the living room on the key bases that they will need to sneak into and take control of._

_"If all goes well, most of the bases in our area should be secure with secrecy and we should be able to begin our rebellion a day or so after these raids occur." _

_"Question, Major." Hamid raised a hand. "You did mention that we need to strike down most of the bases in Southeast Asia, but what about the ones in South Asia?"_

_"Good question." Another officer offered to explain. The people in the living room knew him as Captain Jean de Gaulle, an officer in the Equatorial Union Navy of French descent. "Our members in the South Asia sector will do the same thing, except that they'll bolster the border with the Eurasian Federation via the Iran-Afghanistan border so as to prevent any hostile takeover of the nation."_

_"He's right." Major Bauer placed the cigar on the ashtray to remove some ash made from the cigar leaves. "But those guys in South Asia will follow the same plan; we're only talking about the Southeast Asian part since most of our operations will be concentrated there." All of the people in the living room nodded at the Equatorial Union Army officer._

_"And the air force?" asked Rick, believing that a rebellion such as this could work if they have such superiority._

_"It's in the same boat as for **Begin Tightrope**." Lieutenant Colonel Shinji Mishima of the Equatorial Union Air Force said, answering Rick's question. "Some of the fighter squadron pilots that I've met a few days ago have made secret commitments to our cause."_

_"That's good news." nodded Major Bauer, looking at Lieutenant Colonel Mishima. "But we'll need to secure also the most imporant hardware that we've secured via technology exchange with the Eurasian Federation and the Equatorial Union militaries."_

_"You mean the ones that the Chiefs of Staff have..." said Rick, not sure if he was about to say the right thing._

_"You're on the mark." said Captain de Gaulle. "Though I'm technically in the navy, I am up to date about the transfer that the Eurasian Federation did regarding some technology that could help us in our mobile suit programme."_

_"Aren't they the Hyperion mobile suits?" questioned Hamid, feeling a bit familiar on what the captain was telling them._

_Major Bauer nodded. "Indeed." He puffed out some smoke after removing his cigar from his mouth. The offending odor made the two NSF conscripts swat the smoke away from their faces. "The CAT1-X Hyperion prototype mobile suits developed exclusively for the Eurasian Federation have already been licensed for manufacture here in the Equatorial Union. However, we're only using some of its components with our own to create efficient mobile suits similar to what the Orb Union has done before OMNI invaded it. Even though we're on good terms with them, the nation's still being careful about threading with the Eurasian Federation."_

_Lieutenant Colonel Mishima decided to add more information on the mobile suits themselves._

_"As of now, only three mobile suits have been produced by them. CAT1-X1/3 Hyperion 1 belonged to Canard Pars, who deserted the Eurasian Federation and killed Balsam Arendom, pilot of the CAT1-X2/3 model. The last model, known as the CAT-1X3/3 is currently being piloted by Ivan Zamboise."_

_"Guess you don't want to be at the guy's bad side." commented Hamid._

_"No mass production on these mobile suits?" asked Rick. Seeing that the colonel shook his hand, he sighed. "Looks like they weren't able to do so since the Atlantic Federation still trumphs them."_

_"Is there a reason why Canard Pars deserted the Eurasian Federation?" Hamid was a bit curious on the information provided by the colonel._

_"I'm afraid we can't tell." explained Major Bauer. "Even some of our guys who've penetrated deep within DMI and the NIB couldn't give us exact details, except rumors that Pars has been given orders by Eurasian Federation leaders to assassinate Kira Yamato, a national of the Orb Union, and the fact that he's currently seeking Neutron Jammer Cancellers for his mobile suit." The NIB or the National Intelligence Bureau is the Equatorial Union's official agency used to protect the nation from both foreign espionage and subversive activities, as well as to spy on nations that threaten the security of the Equatorial Union itself._

_"Not surprising to hear since the Earth has been bombarded with Neutron Jammers, some of them hitting the Equatorial Union." noted Hamid. "Shame that none of our leaders have made complaints to the PLANTS ambassador."_

_"Ano?" (What?) hissed Rick. "Kira Yamato?"_

_Captain de Gaulle raised an eyebrow. "I do believe that you know him."_

_"Sir." replied Hamid. "With all due respect, Kira Yamato is Rick's cousin on his mother's side."_

_"But why?" Rick felt his throat dry up. "Why would the Eurasian Federation want to get rid of Kira?"_

_"That we don't know." Colonel Mishima took a swig of rum after pouring it on his glass. "But you have our sympathies."_

_"We'll worry about that part later." said Major Bauer, getting everyone back into their current situation. "Right now, we need to plan on the next phase of Operation Heliopolis."_

_"Yes." Captain de Gaulle nodded in agreement. "The third phase will have you and the other NSF conscripts involved, as well as some of our members in the Special Naval Brigade or the SNB will secure the ships that OMNI had presented to President Chua Tseng-yu as a means of gratitude for joining their alliance."_

_"Isn't he the one who was installed after the previous one was supposedly forced to resign due to health issues?" Rick mentioned._

_"Yes." answered Major Bauer. "The supposed resignation was due to pressure from a combination of pro-OMNI MPs and threats made by the Atlantic Federation ambassador of an invasion if the Equatorial Union refuses to become allies with them."_

_"Right." mumbled Hamid. He then asked the officers another question regarding the next phase of Operation Heliopolis. "So when will the ships be seized by those from the SNB?"_

_"Since most of the ships given by OMNI are in Subic Bay, we've got a cell of them conducting surveillance as we speak. They should seize after you and the other NSF conscripts do your part too."_

_"But what about the other bases in the other parts of the Equatorial Union, not to mention about the rumors of a Tarawa class ship in the region?" questioned Rick, concern on his tone._

_Major Bauer chuckled at Rick, who had asked many questions for their meeting. "I understand most of your concerns, but we've been preparing this for a while after OMNI threatened to invade Orban territory. Besides, all of our supporters have already been positioned strategically in most parts of the Equatorial Union, ready to take down loyalist army platoons and battalions and to procure hardware for us."_

_"By the way." Rick said. "Never got the name of our happy group."_

_"It's called Equational Union Reformed Military or EURM for short, since our objective is to oust the puppet president." grinned the major._

_Rick and Hamid looked at each other and sighed before staring back at the map of the Equatorial Union. _

_"Let's hope the plan works." said the two in unison._

* * *

"I guess so, Hamid." answered Rick, whispering the next few lines to him. "Most of the Equatorial Union bases have already been infiltrated by our guys from the EURM already. I don't know the next part, but I heard that the ships docked mostly in Subic Bay are going to be taken next. Only a few are in other Southeast Asian bases with a minor fractions of those donated ships in South Asia."

A corporal addressed Rick after emerging out of the building of the camp's HQ building. "Excuse me, but are you Rick Chung of the NSF's embedded 3rd Guards Battalion leader?"

"Yes, I am."

"All right." The corporal scratched his head. "Your orders are to wait here for the meantime until an officer can arrive in HQ and debrief you on another session first since the exercise will be held tomorrow." He then slipped a piece of paper into Rick's hands, unaware by most of the people around.

"Understood."

"Good day, sir." The corporal saluted and he saw Rick returning the salute before excusing himself to head back inside the building.

Rick opened the slip of paper that the corporal had secretly given to him. It read:

_Rick, _

_The 1st Guards Battalion HQ will be raided later on after I arrive. But don't worry, some of the personnel are sympathetic. This means that the upcoming raid will and should be bloodless._

_Major Bauer._

Rick, after reading the paper, started to crumple it with his fingers and in haste, tossed it inside his mouth so as to conceal evidence of his unit's planned participation in the planned revolt.

* * *

Waters near EUN Subic Bay Naval Base, Zambales, Philippines, Equatorial Union

Everything was routine in the Equatorial Union Navy (EUN) Subic Bay Naval base. Armed guards were conducting rountine patrols as the only major activity. Sailors were busy working with the ships docked near the harbor of the facility with help from civilian technicians, mostly Arkansas, Des Moines and Fraser class ships donated to replace the Ahn Yong-Bok class ships that the Equatorial Union Navy had acquired from the Republic of East Asia military after the said country was formed during the early days of the Cosmic Era as one of the main destroyer classes before being replaced by OMNI destroyers as a debt of gratitude for declaring their allegiance to them.

But unknown to the personnel inside Subic Bay, a group of SNB commandos wearing Dräeger LAR VII rebreathers were armed with ST Kinetics SAR-24 assault rifles and Armscor (Arms Corporation of the Philippines) A2-45 FSB pistols were infiltrating the base via the waters surrounding the base after they had dropped off from the boat of a civilian sympathizer with their weapons and gear used from the arsenal of the Special Naval Brigade's Philippine base in Cavite thanks to EURM members who have infiltrated the base thanks to their status as MP officers.

The leader, slowly bobbing his head out of the water, observed the port to check for any hostiles wandering around.

_Seems that security is a bit tight at the rear. _The leader signaled some of his men to head to the other side of the port. Turning around, the squad leader saw some of his men diving towards the left side of the port with the remaining ones on the right side of the port, ready to take it over in order to use it as an EURM facility.

Watching his men dive towards the left side of the port, the squad leader lifted his silenced Armscor A2-45 FSB pistol from his holster. Seeing his sidearm rise out of the water, he aimed at one of the soldiers who had his back turned against him. He waited for the second soldier to conduct his foot patrol elsewhere and for some of the commandos to sneak into land before he fired his silenced pistol at the sentry.

Red blood erupted from the sentry's head wound when his body began to fall towards the sea water of the South China Sea, back first. The infiltrating team was lucky that a smart SNB commando surfaced from the sea to catch the corpse before allowing it to settle in the waters, though some splashes were heard.

"What the hell?" The two SNB commandos quickly dived back into the water to avoid getting detected, less that they wanted their mission to be compromised when they heard the voice of a sentry.

When the other sentry arrived, he spotted a strange red patch near the edge of the port. Kneeling down, he fingered the red patch to see what it was.

_Blood? It can't be! _Realizing what it was, he was about to grab his radio when he felt a latexed hand covering his mouth before he felt a knife cutting his own throat. The commando, who had already climbed the left side of the port, killed the sentry and dragged his body out towards the port, silently putting the corpse on the water.

"Okay." The squad leader whispered, being the first one to climb out of the lukewarm water before securing the area using his Armscor A2-45 FSB. After his men had climbed ashore, he lead them towards the main area of the Subic Bay Naval Base without any interruption after securing the rear of the facility.

"There they are." One of his men told his leader, pointing out the various Arkansas, Des Moines and Fraser class ships. A number of army soldiers were guarding it while sailors and civilian contractors were busy conducting repair work on the ships.

"So what now, sir?" Another SNB commando took out his binoculars after removing his goggles to conduct a recon check. "So far, around 10-15 guards are around, most of our guys are in place near the ships."

"We have to take out that Humvee out there." The leader pointed out the M1025 version of the Humvee with the Browning M2 .50 caliber machine gun, which is only in service with the Equatorial Union. "Who's got the bazooka?"

A commando whispered from the rear. "I do, sir." He detached the collapsed Saab Bofors AT4 CS rocket launcher from his back before assembling the weapon.

"Any minute now." Taking a glance at his wristwatch, he gestured at the commando with the AT4 CS rocket launcher to take aim at the lone M1025 at his signal. He holstered his pistol and heaved his ST Kinetics SAR-24 assault rifle, preparing to switch on his laser aiming designator (LAD) mounted on the forearm of the rifle.

_All right. _He cocked his rifle to chamber a single round into the barrel. _Time to do my part._

Giving the signal to begin the attack, he waited until the HEAT warhead had left the AT4 CS rocket launcher before the renegade SNB commandos launched their assault on the entire base.

* * *

Outside EUA Equatorial Union 1st Guards Battalion HQ, Kranji Camp, Western Water Catchment, Singapore, Equatorial Union

"Major!"

Rick saluted, as well as the other NSF conscripts when Major Bauer emerged out of a 4x4 truck that transported soldiers from the Equatorial Union Army's 10th Scout Ranger Regiment, or informally known as Scout Rangers, armed and ready in combat gear with their standard black beret. The unit had been influenced by the former 1st Scout Ranger Regiment of the Philippine before the Equatorial Union Armed Forces was officially established.

"Let's move!" Major Bauer had his ST Kinetics SAR-24 assault rifle ready. "We've got confirmation that some of our EURM men have seized most of the military's bases!"

"Yes, sir!" Rick turned to his fellow NSF men, ordering them to move out and seize the 1st Guards Battalion HQ. "You heard the man? Let's move it!"

Rick lead his fellow NSF conscripts inside the main building as they began their raid on the entire base with Major Bauer and the Scout Rangers after they had disarmed most of the base's sentries of their weapons.

* * *

Command Center, EUA Equatorial Union 1st Guards Battalion HQ, Kranji Camp, Western Water Catchment, Singapore, Equatorial Union

Command Center personnel were busy at work, conducting their normal duties in maintaining radio contact with the other bases and camps being used by the Equatorial Union military.

"Strange." muttered the officer-in-charge (OIC). "I thought the NSF conscripts were supposed to have drills today. I swore I heard shouting."

Suddenly, a loud sound was heard when the entrance door of the room was kicked open, revealing the invaders. Within minutes, the command center had been occupied by a combination of national serviceman and rangers with some EURM members working in the command center after its EURM-allied personnel drew out their sidearms to their surprised _colleagues_.

"What the hell is this?" The OIC attempted to draw his sidearm, but was instead threatened by the SAR-24 rifle barrels belonging to the renegade conscripts and soldiers.

"Wouldn't move if I were you!" said an NSF serviceman with a Scottish accent, aiming his rifle at the OIC's head, making him drop his sidearm

"Get your hands up!" hissed another, moving behind the OIC. He pressed the rifle barrel on his back before the OIC complied.

"Tim, Avir. Good work." Rick entered the command center, SAR-24 rifle at the ready. He then called out for the major. "Sir, we have control of the base!"

Major Bauer entered the room, SAR-24 slinged and Armscor A2-45 FSB drawn out. He looked around and saw that the command center had been occupied with the entire base covertly under their control without any weapons fired at each other.

"Excellent job, guys."

The blonde-haired officer walked towards the OIC and began to interrogate him sternly. Rick directed Miguel inside the room to begin radio contact with their other EURM comrades.

"Tell me." hissed Major Bauer at the OIC, who was _directed _to sit at a vacant chair with his hands tied behind his back with plasticuffs after the renegade soldiers checked all the command center personnel for firearms before being told to kneel down. "Where are the mobile suits being stored?" Major Bauer noted that he had the rank of Captain and his surname was Williams.

"I won't tell you!" spat the Captain, going to great length to spit his saliva at him. The major, a bit pissed, punched him in the face and raised his pistol at the man's temple.

"Perhaps I didn't make myself clear, Captain Williams." quipped the major, wiping the offending liquid from his face. "I'll ask you again. You will tell me where the recently constructed mobile suits are stored right now."

Williams ignored his questions, making Major Bauer resort to extreme methods by shoving his pistol's barrel at the man's mouth.

"You don't want to go down this road with me." He was supported by Rick, who leveled his rifle barrel at the man's neck. "I'm telling you. I'll make sure that you'll eventually die a horrible and terrible death if you don't tell me where the mobile suits are stored."

Seeing that the captain refused to answer, he began to count while slowly flexing his index finger on the pistol's trigger.

"One."

Captain Williams began to sweat, eyeing the renegade officer's finger.

"Two."

_I gotta do something! Can't die._

"Thr-"

"Mmmmm!" The captain was now begging for his life to be spared by shaking his head. Major Bauer removed the pistol from his mouth, satisfied at his response.

"Good!" Major Bauer tapped his sidearm on the captain's head. "Now you'll tell me the precise location of the mobile suit hangar, got it?"

* * *

Rick was tapping at the computers inside the command center with Major Bauer watching him while the other renegade soldiers were at work eyeing the prisoners before they would move out.

"Sir." Rick addressed the major. "Our guys from the SNB have reported a success in securing most of the Arkansas, Des Moines and Fraser ships in Subic Bay. They should be able to get personnel in there soon with some sympathetic sailors on them too after we give them evidence on the protests back a week ago."

"Okay." nodded Major Bauer. "Can you get the location that the captain told me about a while ago?"

"Right here, Major." Rick typed some commands to show a map of Singapore. "If the captain was right," He then tapped on the screen with his index finger to show the location. "then the mobile suit hangar in the area should be based at the former Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Amoy Quee Camp base at Ang Mo Kio."

"It's only a few miles. Probably some of our forces have covertly taken the facility as part of Operation Heliopolis."

"All right, Major." Rick stood up from the command center chair facing the main computer. "We can go then."

"Wait." Major Bauer patted him on his shoulder. "Since we can't get most of your NSF colleagues to go with you," He looked behind his shoulder to see the EURM soldiers guarding the collared base personnel.

"Yes, major?"

"You'll have to choose at least around 4 people to go with you to the former Amoy Quee Camp."

Chapter 2 END


	3. Readiness

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED/Kidou Senshi Gundam SEED: Rebellion 

By: Ominae

Rating: T

NOTE:

Concept of the Gundam SEED series are under the copyright of Mitsuo Fukuda, Bandai and Sunrise. Cameo appearances of characters from Mobile Suit Gundam: Lost War Chronicles are under the copyright of Bandai Games, Masato Natsumoto and Tomohiro Chiba. All other characters and technology (weapons, vehicles) are under my jurisdiction, with some exceptions.

Summary:

With most of the Equatorial Union's military establishments captured in daring raids by military units loyal to the Equatorial Union Reformed Military or the EURM, all seems well for the revolt to depose of the country's president under Operation Heliopolis. Can they sustain cover to succeed? Stay tune to this chapter to find out.

Chapter 3: Readiness

En route to the ex-Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) EUA Amoy Quee Camp base, Ang Mo Kio, Singapore, Equatorial Union

_It's the second week of October now. Just a month afer hostilities between OMNI and ZAFT have ended. But another one could potentially brew up anytime soon! So far, 80 percent of all Equatorial Union military facilities have been covertly taken over._

Rick was on the driver's seat of a jeep-type vehicle called the Laguna, made by Continental Motors of the Philippines that was influenced by both the G-500 made by the former country known as Germany by Mercedes and by the Humvee of the former United States made by AM General. Its apperance almost had the shape of the G-500, with the exception of the trunk's shape that came from the Humvee. Though it had sucess with the civilian and with the Equatorial Union Armed Forces as its biggest customer, Mercedes almost sued Continental Motors on the basis that it had improperly copied its former G-Class models without obtaining a license. Though Continental Motors lawyers fought the claim tooth and nail, both parties have agreed to a settlement instead.

"Hey, Rick!" yawned Hamid, who yawned beside him. "Why'd you leave those two in charge of our embedded unit?"

"You mean them?" asked Rick, still taking control of the vehicle from its left-hand side. "I know Jamie and Alec could do it. They've got great leadership skills during our NCO (Non-commissioned officer) training sessions and that's one of the main reasons why I requested that they'd be embedded with us."

"If you say so." sighed Hamid, switching the air conditioning a bit even though it was starting to get dark. Even though martial law was lifted, civilian traffic curfew was scheduled to end in a few more days after the first week of October. Only police, miltary and government personnel were exempted, though civilians with emergency needs are also exempted as long as they present an exemption permit to local police units anywhere in the Equatorial Union. Since their jeep-type vehicle had Equatorial Union military markings on it, police and military checkpoints would not dare to challenge the vehicle to stop on the road unless it was needed to.

Staring at the rear of the Laguna with the rear view mirror, he saw three of his comrades dozing off at the rear of the Laguna. One of them was Tim Wallace, an NSF serviceman of Scottish descent. Another close friend of his, Tim told him that he was proud of his bloodline, being traced from the days of William Wallace as the leader of an anti-occupation front against England back in the old days. Seated in the middle was Avir Olmert, another NSF serviceman of Israeli origin. Like Tim, he too happily traced his roots back to the days when his ancestors fought against Nazi soldiers in German-occupied Europe as Jewish rebels. Some of his ancestors did fight against British occupation forces in Palestine and Arab civilians as part of Haganah, the forerunner of the former Israeli military. He also mentioned that his grandfather was Ehud Olmert, Israeli prime minister who lead his countrymen through the 2006 Israel-Lebanon Crisis. At Avir's left was Davan Sahril, an NSF serviceman of Malaysian origin. He also had his family roots traced back to the days of World War II when his great-great-grandfather served in the Federated Malay States Forces against Japanese invaders during the Battle of Malaya. He was grateful to him after his incarceration as a POW and eventual guerilla fighter contributions to Malaysia's liberation that his family line got to exist.

_Strange. _chuckled Rick after watching his comrades from the rear. _Only thing most of us have in common is with our roots traced back to most of our ancestors being guerilla fighters. _Oddly enough, Rick's great-great-grandparents were anti-occupation guerillas in the Philippines during the same era as Davan's. Eyeing Hamid on his right, he did remember his Palestinian friend telling him that most of his ancestors served in rebel groups, designated as _terrorist groups _by much of the former European countries, also including the former nations of Canada, Israel and the United States, such as HAMAS and Islamic Jihad back in the 21st century and even some of them were high-ranking members of the former Palestine Liberation Organization or PLO. Also, his grandfather happened to be Mahmoud Abbas, the ex-president of the Palestinian National Assembly or PNA.

"How much longer to the Amoy Quee Camp?" asked Hamid, who yawned again due to boredom.

"10 more minutes." replied Rick, still keeping his eye on the quiet highway. He had an easy time to navigate around since the curfew was still in effect.

"Are we there yet?" said a voice from the rear.

Hamid turned around, "No."

"Fine." It was Luis Mendez, a recent NSF serviceman of Paraguayan origin. "I was getting bored anyway." He had his origins going back to anti-Spanish occupation when his ancestors fought against Spanish forces stationed in Paraguay. His presence was done at the request of Rick when he insisted that he needed at least one more person to come with him to the base, which had already been covertly taken over by some of their EURM men after being embedded in the facility as its personnel.

"Don't get yourself too excited." chuckled Rick.

"Whatever." huffed Luis, deciding to stare at the night sky from the third row seats of the Laguna.

"Alright, folks." beamed Rick, waking most of his passengers up. "We've arrived."

* * *

Outskirts of EUA Amoy Quee Camp base, Ang Mo Kio, Singapore, Equatorial Union 

Parking the Laguna next to the base's guardhouse, an Equatorial Union Army Military Police (MP) officer stood outside after motioning the vehicle to stop. Standing next to the driver's house, he gently rapped the window with its knuckle in order to urge Rick to lower the door's window. Rick saw that the MP was wearing basic Equatorial Union Army uniform, except for the addition for a ballistic helmet that had the words MP painted on it with an armband on his left shoulder. He also eyed his sidearm on his right side, on a brown holster clipped on his belt.

"Need to see your ID." urged the guard. Rick produced his official NSF ID card and showed it to the MP officer. He watched as the officer studied the information written in the card for a brief moment before handing it back to him.

"Good to see you." muttered the MP. "We've managed to gain control of the base a hours after you guys had the simulateneous invasion of the 1st Guards HQ. No one was killed."

"Thanks." Rick had the window back up while the guard began to operate the metal gates that lead to the interior of the base. Waiting for the fangs of the metal beast to open itself up, the MP urged Rick to drive his vehicle inside.

* * *

Outskirts of Administration Building, EUA Amoy Quee Camp base, Ang Mo Kio, Singapore, Equatorial Union 

"Here we are." Rick parked the vehicle on the main building in the middle of the base,which happened to be the base's administration building.

"Everyone out." piped Hamid, closing the Laguna's air conditioning system and unlocking the SUV's doors.

"Come out, you guys." called Davan, lowering one of the seats down to get Luis and Will out.

"Ah, there you are."

A blonde-haired woman wearing an Equatorial Union military administrative uniform, merely consisting of a light brown shirt and skirt with a black belt hugging her waist, indicating that she was assigned to a non-combat position.

"Hello, guys." greeted the woman, adjusting her glasses. "It's good to see that all of you are all right."

"Rachel." greeted Rick, acknowledging the woman. Rick had taken some time to know most of the people working in the military after he was called into service. "Haven't seen you for a while since I took my vacation."

"I know." nodded Rachel. "And I heard what happened to your family." She walked towards him and patted his shoulder. "My sympathies."

"Thanks." whispered Rick, scratching his head for a bit.

"Hey, listen." said Luis, asking Rachel. "Are you guys with..."

Rachel assured the Paraguayan NSF serviceman. "Don't worry about it. All of us here are supportive of Major Bauer and the other renegade officers." She turned her back to go back inside the building. "Follow me, General Kowen wants to see you all inside."

* * *

Corridor, Administration Building, EUA Amoy Quee Camp base, Ang Mo Kio, Singapore, Equatorial Union 

"So tell me," asked Rachel, beside Rick as the two were walking towards the general's office. "do you know what you're doing?"

_Well... _Rick turned his head around to see his comrades talking to one another, as if today was an ordinary day. "Umm..." Rick ran his right hand on his black hair before staring at the brown eyes of his companion. "Yea, sure I do. I'm fightin' just to preserve the EU's neutrality."

"Hmm..." Rachel hummed playfully, drumming her cheek. "You're still the same Rick Chung that I knew after you completed your specialized training with the Guards."

"Yeah." Rick blushed when he remembered about accidentally bumping to her, tripping the two down on his way out after speaking with his NSF superior from the Equatorial Union Guard's main HQ back in Quezon City. In fact, the force was strong that he fell on the ground with his back on the floor while Rachel was on top on him. _Man, that really was embarrasing..._

"Rick," said Rachel, bringing Rick from his thoughts. "are you thinking about _it_?" The blonde couldn't help but giggle.

"What's this?" Avir pounced on Rick from behind, grabbing his neck. "You had a fling with her? Wow!"

"No!" insisted Rick, feeling flushed. "I DID NOT HAVE A FLING WITH HER!"

"Come on, you two." said Hamid, breaking up their little conversation. "General Kowen's office is right there." The Palestinian NSF serviceman pointed the office's door with his left, extended index finger.

* * *

General Kowen's Office, Administration Building, EUA Amoy Quee Camp base, Ang Mo Kio, Singapore, Equatorial Union 

"At ease." General Kowen, in his Equatorial Union Army uniform, saluted the assembled NSF servicemen standing in front of his desk before he sat down on his chair. Rick ordered his comrades to fall in after they were inside the general's office.

Rick watched the American officer of African descent motion Rachel to him and whispered a few words to her before she left his office.

"As you may know," began General Kowen. "I have kept in touch with Major Bauer since the days of the massacres a few weeks ago on joining in this rebellion. I did have some doubts, but I eventually agreed to join in."

"Sir." said Rick. "Were you among the first officers that secretly joined in the rebellion?"

"Yes, I am. As a matter of fact, all of the base staff have also joined in the rebellion too on their own. Hell, even the lowly janitors have also voiced their support too."

"As I understand, General." began Rick. "We've been instructed by the major to head to the mobile suit hangars."

"Of course." The general scratched his chin. "I've asked Rachel to be back after making some preparations in the hangars." He then glanced at his watch. "She should be back anytime now."

"Excuse me, General." Rachel popped herself in the office. "The other pilots are in the hangar now."

General Kowen nodded at her before focusing his gaze at the NSF servicemen standing in front of him. "Better let you guys go now. Seems like the pilots are eager to meet you."

"Understood, sir." acknowledged Rick.

"I almost forgot." General Kowen had a piece of folded paper for Rick. "Major Bauer has some new orders for you to read on. May be on the basis of having additional backup from your embedded unit."

"Right." Rick then turned his focus on his NSF comrades.

"Fall out!"

* * *

Main Floor, Mobile Suit Hangar, EUA Amoy Quee Camp base, Ang Mo Kio, Singapore, Equatorial Union 

"So this is the hangar that General Kowen was talking about." whistled Luis, looking around the hangar after the group had entered with Rachel leading the way.

"Look at this." said Hamid, examining the mobile suits. "Striker Daggers, Buster Daggers, Long and Duel Daggers. It's a mobile suit pilot's dream come true."

"True. But that's not the mainstay of our military."

A group of Equatorial Union soldiers had approached the new arrivals, some of them with a grin on their faces.

"You must be the NSF guys we were told about by Rachel." The leading soldier, a man in his middle '20s with black hair, offered his hand out to Rick, who gladly shook it.

"Yes." Rick then shook hands with him. "I'm Rick Chung, by the way." He then pointed out to his comrades behind him. "From left to right, that's Hamid Abbas, Tim Wallace, Avir Olmert, Davan Sahril and Luis Mendez." _All of them have Western looks. Probably from North America and Europe..._

"Nice to meet you guys. I'm Captain Matt Healy of the Equatorial Union Guards' 1st Mobile Suit Division." introduced the black-haired man. "On my left is Anish." The blonde-haired man gave a thumbs up. "And on my right is Larry. They're both Sergeants." The gruff, black-haired man in his late '20s nodded at the NSF servicemen.

"Hey Matt!" came a holler from the interior of the hangar. "Who are those guys?"

"There you are Anie!" Larry used the hitchhiker's thumb to point out the dark-skinned teen in a mechanic's uniform. "He's Anie and he's the division's chief mechanic."

"Nice to meetcha!" Anie tipped off his basecall cap to greet the assembled NSF servicemen.

"So Matt," interrupted Hamid, still admiring the mobile suits. "you said that those suits aren't the mainstay of the army."

"Nope." Rachel shook her head. "They were given to us by OMNI in exchange for swearing our support to them."

_Bastards _Rick couldn't help, but curse at his leaders for giving up the Equatorial Union's neutrality in order to avoid getting in trouble with OMNI.

"Our own mobile suits are at the rear, alongside the prototypes." Matt showed them the rear with his left index finger, pointing out the location. "But I'd suggest that you guys get settled in the barracks nearby."

"Thanks, Matt." As Matt's fellow soldiers and Rick's NSF comrades filed out of the hangar, Rick took a good look at the paper folded out to him by General Kowen before leaving his office.

_Said that the prototypes inside aren't fitted with a Natural and Coordinator Operating System. Mentioned here that we may get some more help by tomorrow. Well, better see about that._

With those thoughts out, he crumpled the paper and threw it onto the nearest trash can before walking out of the mobile suit hangar to get his things from the Laguna into the barracks.

* * *

Somewhere in the Orb Union 

"Are you all right, Murrue?"

"Yeah. Thanks, Kira."

Murrue Ramius, ex-officer with OMNI and based from the Atlantic Federation, drank coffee in the living room of Andrew Waltfield. She had taken residence after loosing the famed Mu La Flaga to a lohengrin beam attack by the Dominion, the mobile assault ship made similarly to the Archangel.

"You sure?" asked Kira, who had come by to visit her. "You were shaking."

"Really, Kira." She smiled at him. "I'm fine."

_But I can't help it though. _Murrue kept drinking her coffee while Kira went to talk with Andrew the moment he was inside the living room. _Why do I feel this way? Like something's going to happen..._

Staring at the brown liquid on her mug, she only shivered when she had thought of one person in her life before meeting with Mu.

_I hope you're safe, Rick Chung. _

* * *

Main Floor, Mobile Suit Hangar, EUA Amoy Quee Camp base, Ang Mo Kio, Singapore, Equatorial Union 

"So this is it, eh?"

Rick went back to the mobile suit hangar after having his things checked inside the barracks before personally inspecting the other mobile suits inside.

_Let's see. _Rick had a clipboard given to him by Rachel, with details on the EUMS-01 Primus. The Primus was the first indigeneous mobile suit made after a technology exchange agreement was recently made a few months ago with the Eurasian Federation.

_A name fitting for our first mobile suit. _Rick scanned the info on the clipboard, he knew that Primus in Latin meant _First_.

"According to the information here, it had a variety of projectile weapons before considering melee weapons." whispered Rick, who read the main data of the EUMS-01 Primus

_EUMS-01 (Equatorial Union Mobile Suit-01) Primus_

_Manufacturer: BSA Manufacturing (Malaysia)_

_Users: Equatorial Union_

_Unit type: Mass Production General Purpose Mobile Suit_

_Head height: 16.9 m_

_Base weight: 54.7 metric tons_

_Powerplant: Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing ultracompact energy battery (Singapore)_

_Special Equipment: _

_Philippine National Construction Corp. (PNCC) Parachute pack (Joint work between Philippines and Singapore)_

_Armament:_

_- Main:_

_FERFRANS 60 mm ML-1 beam rifle with 4 30-round clips stored on shield x 1 (Philippines)_

_Floro 40 mm MK-1 multibarrel CIWS x 2 (Philippines)_

_DiStar Kris beam saber x 2 (Thailand)_

_Hindalco anti-beam shield x 1, mounted at right arm (India)_

_- Optional:_

_PT Pindad SR-1 beam sniper rifle with 4 15-round clips stored on shield x 1 (Indonesia)_

_PT Pindad 100 mm PM1 ground rocket launcher with 2 5-round clips x 1 (Indonesia)_

_Venture 70 mm VMS-1 MOBSUPAD SAM launcher x 1 (Singapore)_

_Others:_

_Mastek rocket thrusters x 2, mounted at rear (India)_

"Not bad." whispered Rick, looking at the Primus mobile suit docked in front of him. It beared similar looks to the Hyperion models made by the Eurasian Federation, except that it had a white color with a black finish on the mobile suit's belly, chest, forearm and calf. Somehow, its appearance merely reminded him of the MBF-M1 Astray mobile suits that Orb had fielded during the OMNI invasion of the island nation. _Most of the mobile suit's components are shared by most of the Equatorial Union territories..._

"Guess we'll be the first ones to field mobile SAM launchers." Rick figured out that MOBSUPAD meant mobile suit portable, indicating that the Primuses will be able to use the upcoming VMS-1s for anti-air combat.

"Okay..." Rick flipped through the papers containing more info on the Primus. "These babies already have a Natural and Coordinator OS. So that leaves me with the..."

Rick felt someone tapping on his shoulder. Turning his head to the right, he saw Matt was standing behind him.

"Sorry about that." apologized Matt. "But the big man's got someone you have to meet."

"Really?" Rick tucked the clipboard under his left arm. "Who is it?"

"I'll take you to the simulation room for that. Come on..."

* * *

Simulation Room, Mobile Suit Hangar, EUA Amoy Quee Camp base, Ang Mo Kio, Singapore, Equatorial Union 

Matt led Rick to the simulation room, consisting of a control room and a sliding door that lead to the training area for mobile suits to be tested out.

"Here." Matt showed him to a seat. "Major Bauer said that you need to get a Natural and Coordinator OS running for the prototype suits. I'll come back in a few and get the person up."

"Matt, I'll need some help from my comrades to test them out for me."

Matt nodded and exited the room; Rick then decided to head down to the training room and went inside one of the two empty Primuses that knelt down on the ground.

* * *

Training Room, Mobile Suit Hangar, EUA Amoy Quee Camp Base, Ang Mo Kio, Singapore, Equatorial Union 

"I'll just prepare this Primus up for a while to see what kind of OS I should do for the Natural and Coordinator OS." murmured Rick, quickly using all his fingers to type in commands on the Primus' OS since it's already compatible for a Natural pilot.

_Heh. _Rick grinned as he watched the OS boot up to accept the inputs that he had just typed in, especially since he was a Coordinator. _Just like fishing on a sunny day. _He then tested the OS by closing the Primus' cockpit cover and tried moving around before using the mobile suit's arms and legs to move around. Sure enough, they were working.

"Oy! Are you done?"

Rick looked out to see Matt waving at him. He saw Tim and Luis with him.

"Wait! Coming down!" Rick halted his Primus and activated the linear cable. It brought him down on the ground to meet up with his comrades after opening the cockpit hatch.

"I've made some adjustments on the OS on the Primus up there." Rick used his right thumb to point it out. "That should be compatible for a Coordinator to use it."

"Great." grinned Tim. Rick knew that Tim was of Coordinator origin with Luis as a Natural. He then faced Matt and saw him making a gesture for Rick to hurry up back inside the simulation room.

* * *

Simulation Room, Mobile Suit Hangar, EUA Amoy Quee Camp base, Ang Mo Kio, Singapore, Equatorial Union 

Being assisted by simulation room personnel, Rick was escorted to an empty computer console where he began work on an original Natural and Coordinator OS, not like the ones developed by the military, for the said prototype mobile suits that he heard of when he arrived at the Amoy Quee Camp base.

"Excuse me."

When Rick turned his swivel chair around, he saw a brown-haired girl with short hair staring at him. He saw that the girl was wearing the standard Equatorial Union army uniform, like all those who are indoctrinated into the army should wear.

"I'm Staff Sergeant Rick Chung from the Equatorial Union Guards' 3rd Guards Battalion. I'm embedded with the unit as part of my National Service requirements." The Filipino NSF serviceman saluted the girl since he noted her rank insignia to be a bit higher than his after standing up from his seat.

"Pleased to meet you." The girl, likewise, gave a salute. "I'm Technical Sergeant Noel Anderson and I'm a mobile suit combat expert." The two then shook hands.

_Wow! _Rick was mesmerized by her looks since he considered her pretty with her face and her hair, especially if she was in her early '20s.

"Um, are you all right?" Noel waved her hand across his face, seeing Rick beginning to daydream.

"Huh?" Rick blinked a bit, realizing his mistake. "Pardon me, but are you the one that Matt talked to me about?"

"That's right." Noel nodded. "And I'm suppose to assist you in coming up with an original Natural and Coordinator OS for the said mobile suits." She then handed him her clipboard for Rick to look at.

_The Secundus mobile suits. So that's what they are. _Rick had his head up to ask. "You seem a bit young as a mobile suit combat expert. And also, are they the prototype mobile suits that I've been told about?"

"I'm 24 actually." Noel blushed. "I got in the army after I graduated from college. And as for the Secundus mobile suits," Noel pointed out to him on the clipboard handed to him its basic data. "only six were made available from the production line for testing purposes."

"I see." Rick flipped through before handing the clipboard back to Noel. "Better get back to work."

Seated back on his console, he continued to work throughout the night with Noel assisting him on technical matters regarding her input of making Rick's prototype OS compatible with Naturals. The two have a long way to go.

_Primus and Secundus mobile suits eh? _Rick wiped some sweat of his forehead while watching Noel sat down on another swivel chair andtyped in a few inputs in Rick's prototype OS before viewing her results on a simulation program, analyzing in from his swivel chair.

_It's quite fitting actually. Primus meaning first and secundus meaning second. The first two mobile suits to ever come out of production for the Equatorial Union miltary._

While letting Noel type in some more commands into the OS program that Rick had started, he drank a can of regular Coke so as to let the caffeine keep him awake for the entire night, while watching Tim and Luis were at work to get their bearings right in using the two Primus mobile suits inside the training room.

Chapter 3 END


	4. Surprise

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED/Kidou Senshi Gundam SEED: Rebellion 

By: Ominae

Rating: T

NOTE:

Concept of the Gundam SEED series are under the copyright of Mitsuo Fukuda, Bandai and Sunrise. Cameo appearances of characters from Mobile Suit Gundam: Lost War Chronicles are under the copyright of Bandai Games, Masato Natsumoto and Tomohiro Chiba. All other characters and technology (weapons, vehicles) are under my jurisdiction, with some exceptions.

Summary:

Now officially "stationed" at the Amoy Quee Camp base, Rick Chung and his fellow EURM rebels were now preparing themselves to get ready for an eventual coup against their nation's leaders. But even so, will they be able to take the initiative or will they loose it? Stay tune to this chapter to find out.

Chapter 4: Surprise

Simulation Room, Mobile Suit Hangar, EUA Amoy Quee Camp base, Ang Mo Kio, Singapore, Equatorial Union

Morning had dawned on the Amoy Quee Camp base, a day had passed after Rick Chung and his fellow NSF colleagues had tiredly worked on providing a new OS for the prototype Secundus mobile suits.

"Just damn boring." Rick had finalized the final commands for the prototype OS that he and Noel had worked on since last night. Keying on the radios of the Primuses, he radioed his comrades that the OS was done.

**"Okay. OS is now finished. I'll upload it up there to see if it works. Let me know if anything's wrong with it."**

**"Sure!" **was the reply he got from his comrades.

Rick then typed the command to send the OS program to the Primus mobile suits used by Tim and Luis, before noticing that Noel had arrived inside.

"Morning." Noel yawned, indicating that she was tired.

"Hmm..." Rick then radioed his comrades on the progress of the upload. **"It's up. Can you see how it is? Try moving and punching around." **Rick mentioned before he added another message to them. **"Just don't duke it out with one another. Save it for the coup attempt..."**

**"Right." **The two OS programmers watched as Tim and Luis moved their Primus units around before trying to punch and kick an imaginary enemy.

**"It's good." **keyed Tim on the Primus' radio. **"Feel's like I can get the hang of this one!"**

**"Me too." **added Luis, moving his Primus unit as an easier rate.

**"Great, guys." **Rick grinned and gave a thumbs up to Noel. She gladly returned the gesture before she radioed the two inside their Primus mobile suits.

**"Thanks. I'm going to upload the OS into the prototypes. You two can get back here now."**

* * *

"Great work guys." Rick gave high fives to Tim and Luis for a job well done. "Now we can get the prototypes up and running." 

"Questions though." said Tim. "Why did the army leave the prototypes here? Aren't they suppose to be transferred out?"

"If I heard it right," Rick scratched his head. "this was only a temporary point since they were about to be moved out to a secret location. Only the top brass knows about it."

Luis then nudged in a question. "Hey Rick, you know what the specs of the Secundus mobile suits are?"

Rick grabbed the clipboard from the chair that he sat on a while ago, "Yeah. Let me rummage through that."

Searching through the clipboard that Noel gladly lent to him, he browsed through the paper and told them the lowdown of the Secundus.

"Apparently," Rick began to explain the technical specs of the Secundus. "The height of these guys are a bit higher than our Primuses scheduled to be rolled out by next week. Basically, head height and base weight are about 17.3 and 60.0 metric tons. As for the rest, it can use the same parachute and has the same battery pack. Only difference is with the weapons used."

"And they are?" inquired Tim, having a raised eyebrow.

"A beam assault rifle is the main weapon. Designation is FERFRANS MKR-1 beam assault rifle. Nifty thing is it's got an attached grenade launcher underneath it. Caliber's 40mm and its grenades are reloadable too."

"Why do I get a feeling that it reminds of the former Colt M16 series?" asked Luis, raising an eyebrow.

"Don't ask me." Rick shrugged his shoulders. "Also says that it has the beam saber and it can also use the MOBSUPAD anti-air bazooka. Aside from those, we do have access to some combat knives stored in the leg area of the Secundus. Most likely like the ones based on the prototype Gundams used by the Atlantic Federation. Some other stuff's in here too, but they're not important right now."

"You mean like the ones we saw during the Orb Invasion on the EUNN?" asked Noel, who had came back from the toilet unnoticed.

"Yeah, that's the one." Rick nodded to answer her. "Oh yeah, has the OS been uploaded to the Secundus mobile suits already, Noel?"

"Almost." answered Noel. "I asked Anie to check and he said that it's 90 percent ready."

"So it's only 5 percent to go." Rick stared at the wall clock. "Guess we've got nothing to..."

The sound of an explosion echoed inside the simulation, rattling the nerves of most of the people inside.

_What the hell was that? _Rick became a bit concerned after hearing the strange explosion. He then heard loud footsteps of two peoples entering the room, revealing two familiar faces.

"Larry, Anish?" asked Noel, concerned. "What happened?"

"We came from outside." said Larry, panting. "A loud boom came from near the entrance of the base and we checked it out."

"Who did that anyway?" Rick was now asking the questions.

"One thing's for sure." Anish replied.

All of the personnel waited for Anish to answer, almost holding their breath like they ran out of air to breathe in.

"The government's moving in on us."

* * *

Main Floor, Mobile Suit Hangar, EUA Amoy Quee Camp base, Ang Mo Kio, Singapore, Equatorial Union 

"Anie!" Matt came running down the area towards his Strike Dagger mobile suit. "Get the suits up and running!" Larry and Anish had already been inside their respective mobile suits.

"Got it!" Anie tipped his ballcap before hollering out to his fellow technicians. "You heard the man! Get the other mobile suits ready and running!"

_Great, just when I was about to get some research done on the Secundus._

Rick and the other NSF servicemen came running down towards the restricted area of the mobile suit hangar, where the Secundus mobile suits are stored. Matt, Rick and their respective colleagues were now donning the pilot suit of the Equatorial Union armed forces. Its base color was green, with its body and leg regions in a blue color. They had their helmets tucked underneath their arms, also having a green color as well with opaque visors.

"Let's go, guys!" Rick shouted to encourage his comrades. "Government's already moving in!"

"Do we know when they tried to mobilize the rest of the army?" asked Hamid, not sure of the news that he heard.

"Don't know. I'll radio Major Bauer in a secure radio channel that he told me before." said Rick, wanting to put the questions away for now.

"Rick! There you are!" Anie shouted, seeing Rick and the other NSF servicemen dressed in their pilot suits. "Secundus mobile suits are ready!"

"Thanks, Anie!" yelled Avir. _Wow! They almost look the Hyperion mobile suits, except without that shield thing that the Eurasian Federation had made._

"Okay, guys!" Davan shouted. "Let's boogie!"

The six NSF servicemen simultaneously entered their own Secundus mobile suit, since they all had the same dark grey color. After entering them, they also simultaneously closed the hatches leading to the Secundus cockpit, ready for action.

_Come on, come on. _Rick hastily wore his pilot helmet and began to close the opaque face lens before activating the power of the Secundus, booting up its OS with the following words after the flag of the Equatorial Union was displayed; its apperance having a green and white background with the outline of the entire South and Southeast Asian continents.

**MOBILE SUIT OPERATING SYSTEM**

**/Version 1.1/**

**G**eneral

**U**nilateral

**N**euro-Link

**D**ispersive

**A**utomatic

**M**odule

**GUNDAM System Unit**

**Equatorial Union Army**

_OS is up, now to activate the radio_. Remembering the frequency that Major Bauer told him, Rick began to type down the secret frequency that he was told until he was able to establish a line.

**"Major Bauer! Do you copy me? This is Rick Chung!"**

**"Rick! Nice to hear from you! I think you probably heard that the government forces are moving on us!"**

**"Sir! Have we been able to repulse them?"**

**"Even though some of the government's assets were able to move in on the secured bases, we're able to hold them back. Right now, 30 percent of our forces have successfully repelled government-led takeover attempts. I'll keep you updated. Expect the government to send some platoons on you."**

**"Yes sir!" **Ending the connection, he opened a secure link to the other Secundus units that his fellow NSF comrades are using, with external cameras.

**"Listen up, loyalist forces are heading this way. Let's get out there and show them the error of their ways!"**

**"Okay!" **voiced his five NSF comrades.

**"One things for sure." **suggested Hamid on their radio channels. **"Looks like the Primus and the Secundus will see its combat debut right now instead of next week."**

* * *

Outskirts of EUA Amoy Quee Camp base, Ang Mo Kio, Singapore, Equatorial Union 

Outside the base, loyalist and renegade soldiers have begun to engage one another in small arms fire. Each of the factions are backed by various tanks and armored personnel carriers, including the ST Kinetics Bionix-2 Main Battle Tanks and the Continental Military AV-1 tracked APCs. Main difference here was that the government forces had VTOL Fighters that OMNI Enforcer had recently supplied as a first-strike attack gunship, replacing some of the various South Asian and Southeast Asian helicopter gunships that they had used in their former militaries. The loyalists were apparently backed by their own Striker, Buster, Duel and Long Daggers with the recently produced Primus mobile suits. The OMNI-made mobile suits had the same colors as the Primus and Secundus mobile suits have, having the black finish on their metal bodies.

**"Okay, boyos!" **Larry was inside his Buster Dagger. **"Come get some!" **Using his 350mm gun launcher, he aimed it at two loyalist Strike Daggers, blowing them up to smithereens.

**"Move aside, Larry!" **Anish used his Duel Dagger to shove Larry's Buster Dagger aside to attack an incoming loyalist Buster Dagger armed with its combined 94mm high-energy beam rifle and 350mm gun launcher, docked as the 350mm anti-armor shotgun. Dodging the beam from the shotgun, he used his beam saber to slice the shotgun's barrel off before cutting the mobile suit in half, destroying it and killing its pilot.

_Dammit! We're being cornered. _Matt used his Strike Dagger's 75mm multi-barrel Igelstellung CIWS to take out a squadron of VTOL Fighters that tried to strafe their mobile suit hangar. Later on, he drew out his ES01 beam saber and used it to disable some Primus and Duel Dagger mobile suits that came in from the rear of the base, nearly surprising him.

**"This is Delta III! We're being overruned in here!"**

**"I know, Larry. Hey, Delta I, what happened to the Secundus mobile suits?"**

**"Delta II, last time I checked with them, they only had 95 percent of the suits operational. Can't do anything about it, Anish."**

Though the three men had fought against the loyalist forces, both armored and mobile suit forces alike, they felt that they couldn't take the heat anymore as more and more of the loyalist mobile suits began to converge towards them while some of their comrades kept the rebel soldiers and armored forces busy.

Suddenly, a beam shot rang out from the direction of the mobile suit hangar and destroyed a loyalist Strike Dagger that tried to take aim at Matt's Strike Dagger with its M703 57mm beam rifle.

**"Finally!" **sighed Larry. **"Some help for a change!"**

**"Matt!" **Rick's voice came on the radio of Matt's radio console. **"Please take care of the frontal defenses. We'll see to the goverment mobile suits from the rear."**

**"All right. Good luck and don't die on me."**

**"You got it!"**

* * *

Living Room, Andrew Waltfeld's Residence, Somewhere in the Orb Union 

"Murrue." called Lacus. "Come quick! Something's on the news."

Sensing the urgency in Lacus' voice, Murrue Ramius came to the living room to see her with Kira. Also inside the room were Athrun, Cagalli, Sai, Miriallia and Andrew himself. Also inside was Dearka, who happened to pay Miriallia and the other survivors a visit. Dalida Chandra II, Arnold Neumann, Romero Pal, Jackie Tonomura and Kojiro Murdoch, some of Murrue's former subordinates in their OMNI days, were also inside the living room paying them a visit as well.

"You're just in time." Andrew said, putting down his wireless phone back in his receiver. "I was on the phone with DaCosta. He should be here in a few minutes to bring Reverend Malchio along."

"Why?" Murrue asked. "What's going on?"

"Just some things in the Orb News Channel." said Kojiro, pointing to the TV with his thumb. "Interrupted regular programming for a breaking news."

"I don't know the exact details, Ms. Ra... Er, Murrue." explained Sai, fixing his glasses. Like the ex-civilian enlisted crew members of the Archangel, he had a bit of a hard time calling their ex-captain by her first name, but she understood their difficulty in doing so. "I heard some rumors that a coup attempt was in the works, according to sources in the internet."

"Hey." Cagalli raised a question. "I wonder if it has anything to do with OMNI pressuring the neutral nations to swear allegiance to them."

"It's possible." Miriallia nodded. "But we don't know which nation is in the spotlight."

"What?" Dearka raised an eyebrow. "You're a freelance photographer. You should at least have some idea."

"Hey youngster." Andrew interrupted. "As much as I'd like to know, she doesn't have more info. Lighten up." He could only see Dearka sneering at him for calling him a _youngster_.

"Quiet, everyone." Jackie called everyone back into attention. "News' coming up."

**"Good afternoon. I'm Michiko Toyota reporting from the Orb News Channel center. In breaking news today," **said the female news reporter on the television. **"Security forces in the Equatorial Union are officially on high alert after it had received intelligence that a rebel faction has taken control of some of the their bases."**

"A rebellion in the Equatorial Union?" murmured Kira. Then, it hit the brown-haired boy really hard. _Oh no! Cousin Rick's there and he was on National Service..._

"Are you okay?" Lacus asked, squeezing his right hand gently.

"Yea." replied Kira. "I kinda remember a cousin of mine was attending national service in the Equatorial Union military."

**"In addition, we've received information that security forces based in Singapore have attempted to move into Amoy Quee Camp as it was named as the main rebel base. However, they were repulsed by a force of rebel soldiers and armored forces, including mobile suits."**

"That seems interesting." Andrew commented, going to his strategist tone. "They must have been repulsed on all sides by using two groups to attack the government forces from the front and back." Moments later, the group saw that a videoclip showed the Secundus mobile suit firing its FERFRANS ML-1 beam assault rifle at some government mobile suits and tanks off the screen before it removed its used clip and reloaded it with another fresh clip.

**"Sources in the Equatorial Union military have said that they don't have any idea who in the military has joined in the revolt. More news will follow shortly."**

* * *

Inside Base Perimeter, EUA Amoy Quee Camp base, Ang Mo Kio, Singapore, Equatorial Union 

Smoke.

That was all there is to it. Black smoke was smoldering everywhere. Various tanks, APCs, VTOL fighters and mobile suits belonging to the government and the EURM had been destroyed in the initial confrontation, resulting in smoldering wrecks. In addition, corpses of both loyalist and rebel soldiers were scattered in and outside Amoy Quee Camp, a sign that a long battle could come.

"Damn, I can't believe it!" sneered Matt, lowering himself on the ground with the Strike Dagger's linear cable. "We were taken by surprise."

"Know how it feels, capitan." joked Larry, who was the first to greet Matt from his mobile suit. "How did the government knew about our planned coup?"

"Maybe not." Anish came down from his Duel Dagger's linear cable. "Probably somebody reported it to them. Probably a deep penetration agent."

"I'm afraid not."

General Kowen came out of the adminstration building, which received no damage at all from the initial attack. Alongside him was Rachel, who was not hurt in the battle. Matt, Larry and Anish saluted the general when he approached them.

"I was informed by Major Bauer that they luckily intercepted some communication from a rebel unit in Bangladesh that tried to take over one of the army's outposts there. They then traced some of them from here, which is probably why they decided to stage their raid."

"Damn!" snarled Anish. "If we only tried to apply radio silence instead of being confident that our guys in DMI were able to prevent them from checking our radio comms."

"Don't blame them." insisted the general. "They probably tried to no avail." He then whispered to Rachel to instruct the base's firefighters to extinguish the flames.

"General Kowen!"

Rick and the other NSF conscripts came running towards them, all with their helmets tucked underneath their arms. "I'm glad you're okay, sir." The assembled group gave a salute to him.

"Thanks to your efforts," General Kowen returned the salute. "we were able to drive the government forces away, though we sustained minor casualties."

"So what happens then?" asked Tim, standing beside Rick.

"Basically, the area around the base is our territory now. And I was informed by Captain de Gaulle that he's sending some reinforcements to bolster our position." They then heard some tanks and mobile suits approaching the front gate with a few truckload of rebel soldiers. "That should be them now."

"General Kowen!" called the tank commander of the leading ST Kinetics Bionix-2, giving a salute. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine!" General Kowen saluted him. "What's the situation?"

"As soon as fighting broke out," explained the tank commander, dismounting from the Bionix-2 after it assumed a defensive position near the base. "We've got word from several media outlets to request an interview with the spokesman of our group. He was suppposed to be here, as directed by Major Bauer."

"Who would that be?" asked Luis, a bit confused.

"That would be you, Rick." General Kowen patted his hand on the right shoulder of the confused teen before asking the tank commander. "Any word on Major Bauer himself?"

"He was able to repulse government forces heading towards the 1st Guards Battalion HQ, sir. Minor casualties were taken too."

"And the reporters?"

"They're in the last truck, sir. They should be coming in right now." As said by the tank commander, a truck full of reporters came inside and were assisted by rebel soldiers in climbing out of the truck. To distinguish the rebel personnel from the loyalist, EURM leaders have instructed their soldiers to have red armbands as soon as they can with its leaders wearing a red pin on their uniform. The assembled defenders saw that the soldiers helping the reporters come down had red armbands on.

"General Kowen!" The reporters were now escorted by the same soldiers that assisted in coming down from their truck. "We need to speak with someone about this rebellion."

"Are you all allowed by the defense secretary here?" asked the general, being careful to avoid spies in their ranks.

"Sir." The tank commander whispered to his ear. "We've got our DMI agents to check on their IDs. Government did have a DMI agent infiltrating their rank, but he was taken care of."

General Kowen nodded, understanding that the issue of spies were taken of. He then addressed the reporters after getting confirmation from the tank commander.

"If you need to speak to someone about this," He directed their attention to Rick. "He's the one who will speak for all of us here today."

* * *

Living Room, Andrew Waltfeld's Residence, Somewhere in the Orb Union 

"Hey Murrue." Andrew noted that Murrue was a bit shaking. "You seemed tense."

"It's nothing." assured Murrue, using a smile to throw him off her tracks.

Reverend Malchio, even if he was blind, was able to sense trouble in her. "It seems that you are troubled, Ms. Ramius. Is there someone in your thoughts?"

Murrue felt that she couldn't answer. Most of the people, including Andrew, were amazed that she didn't give a straight answer. This simply made the Reverend smile at her.

"It seems that you have someone else in your thoughts. Is he involved in the rebellion?"

"I don't know, Reverend." replied Murrue. "The events somehow reminded me of someone back there."

"Well, news updates are coming back in less than a few minutes." Kira said as Martin DaCosta stared at his watch, checking the time.

"Hey everyone." Cagalli called everyone's attention. "News is getting back on." Everyone watched the TV, except Reverend Malchio since he could only hear the updates from the TV set.

"Looks like they got some new information about the coup crisis in the Equatorial Union." commented Sai.

"You got that right." said Dearka in agreement. For once, the two former enemies were able to agree over something in common.

Moments later, the Orb News Channel had flashed the words BREAKING NEWS before it showed a male reporter, who had apprently taken over from the first reporter.

**"Good afternoon everyone. I'm Thomas Jenkins reporting today's breaking news." **said the reporter who had introduced himself. **"In breaking news a while ago, security forces in Singapore have been repulsed from an initial assault of the Equatorial Union 1st Guards Battalion Headquarters and the Amoy Quee Camp base by rebel factions opposed to President Chua Tseng-Yu. Several reporters have converged on the rebel-held Amoy Quee Camp base, asking questions to why the rebellion was staged."**

A few minutes later, the TV screen showed reporters interviewing a teenager wearing the official pilot suit of the Equatorial Union military, without his helmet on. The teen's apperance on the screen made Murrue's hands weak as she dropped her mug on the wooden floor, shattering it to pieces.

"Oh no!" screamed Andrew, putting his hands on his head. "That was one of my favorite coffee mugs!" He knew it was a good thing he didn't get the room carpeted or else he would have asked the cleaning service to clean up the living room.

"Are you all right, Ms. Ramius?" Reverend Malchio became a bit concerned after hearing the mug smash on the floor.

"No. It can't be." whispered Kira, feeling the same as Murrue after the person on screen appeared, making his heart beat faster.

"Kira." Cagalli had concern for her brother. "What is it?"

"It's cousin Rick." whispered Kira again, only audible for him to hear.

* * *

Inside Base Perimeter, EUA Amoy Quee Camp base, Ang Mo Kio, Singapore, Equatorial Union 

Rick and Hamid were outside the mobile suit hangar, watching the base personnel clean up the debris of wrecked tanks, APCs and mobile suits after clearing the area of the corpses of dead soldiers. Those belonging to the government were handed over to Red Cross personnel while those from the rebel side were temporarily kept until they can get a Red Cross representative to take them away.

"Sure is beat around here since the initial strike." Hamid drank a can of regular Coke while seated down on a folding chair.

"Guess you're right." Rick stretched his arms and legs while on another folding chair. "But we can't rest for a long time. We need to move out now."

"Guess who's here." Hamid whistled, seeing Rachel exit the building.

"Rachel." Rick whispered, wondering what the blonde secretary was doing outside. "What does she want?"

"Orders from Major Bauer." Rachel handed him a piece of paper. "You have to move out as soon as possible."

"Now?" Rick raised an eyebrow to her. "But we're not finished with maintenance!"

"As soon as maintenance is done, you're to move out at once." Rachel reiterated the orders handed down by Major Bauer, making Rick and Hamid sigh.

"Also," Rachel fixed her glasses, pushing its bridge with her right index finger. "I'll be coming along as well, as ordered by General Kowen."

"Why?" wondered Hamid, a bit confused.

"He doesn't want any unnecessary casualties in case the government decides to strike here again."

"In that case," Rick started to walk back towards the mobile suit hangar. "I better tell Matt and the others to get the transport vehicles and the SUVs ready."

Chapter 4 END


	5. Moving Out

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED/Kidou Senshi Gundam SEED: Rebellion 

By: Ominae

Rating: T

NOTE:

Concept of the Gundam SEED series are under the copyright of Mitsuo Fukuda, Bandai and Sunrise. Cameo appearances of characters from Mobile Suit Gundam: Lost War Chronicles are under the copyright of Bandai Games, Masato Natsumoto and Tomohiro Chiba. All other characters and technology (weapons, vehicles) are under my jurisdiction, with some exceptions.

Summary:

With the Equatorial Union national government on the heels of the EURM after intercepting various rebel transmissions, its members now had no choice but to begin plans to strike back against their leaders in an attempt to oust their president by force after being discovered with months of covert preparation. Will they be able to accomplish it with the backing of the people? Can they be able to stay one step ahead of the government and the loyalist military? If so, will the rebels deal a severe blow to them or will they be the ones that will be defeated? Stay tune to this chapter to find out.

Chapter 5: Moving Out

Bridge, _Tarawa_ class ship _EUS Kargil_

On the bridge on the newly captured EUS (Equatorial Union Ship) Kargil acquired from Subic Bay, it moved into the South Asian area with EURM officer Lieutenant Colonel Shinji Mishima commandering one of the ships under the cover of beefing up security in the region with a small crew of rebel navy crewmen. Since the Tarawa class ships were recently acquired by the Equatorial Union military as a symbolic gesture from OMNI, air force or navy officers were to take command of these aircraft/mobile suit carriers.

Lieutenant Colonel Mishima took command of the Kargil, since it was to be assigned to the air force, and was at the South Asian area docked somewhere in Sri Lanka after the small island was quickly occupied by EURM forces and ousting its loyalist governor after protestors had swarmed near the governor's residence. The local police force were not able to disperse them as heavily armed EURM soldiers, spearheaded by renegade soldiers of the Equatorial Union Navy's Special Naval Brigade were responsible for conducting sieges on the small island state and disarming the mostly loyalist police officers in Sri Lanka.

Any Equatorial Union soldier, whether enlisted or a national serviceman, should know about the unit itself. The creation of the SNB had dated back to the creation of the Equatorial Union when former instructors of several disbanded naval special forces unit such as India's Marine Commando Force, Malaysia's Pasukan Khas Laut, the Philippine's Special Warfare Group and Thailand's Royal Thai Navy SEALs. The unit was known for mainly conducting unconventional warfare, including sea, air and land operations, as done by their predecessors.

_It's about time now. _Lieutenant Colonel Mishima stared at his watch, waiting for something. The Kargil mostly served planes and not mobile suits as the second Tarawa class ship served both planes and mobile suits.

"Sir." A rebel crewman, wearing the red armband saluted the officer. "We've just got word that our F-7D Spearhead planes are returning from bombing our targets in India and Bangladesh."

"What about Nepal and Bhutan?"

"Our forces stationed in the those states have reported a success in controlling the region after gaining the support of its governors."

Lieutenant Colonel Mishima nodded, dusting off dirt from his uniform. Unlike the army, the navy and air force had decided that its officers should wear the administrative uniform for most of their functions, thus having the brown uniform worn.

_I see. _The rogue air force officer had given targets to its renegade F-7D Spearhead pilots to target facilities that were held by loyalists, including military facilities, police stations, radio stations and ports that belonged to the goverment. In addition, the Spearheads had also given cover fire to renegade SNB commandos that fought in the streets in India and Bangladesh for a short period of time against government troops while supporting civilian protestors that took over radio stations, police stations and news media buildings.

"Get the pilots ready once the Spearheads have been refueled and rearmed. Our next targets are in Afghanistan and Pakistan."

"Sir, what about India and Bangladesh? According to our DMI and NIB agents, we only have 80 percent of the landmass under our control. Besides, a small section of the police force in India and Bangladesh are backing us, mostly consisting of small Special Tactical Units."

"It doesn't matter." The officer glared at his subordinate. "We've already weakened the loyalist forces in the area. So it shouldn't be a problem."

The crewman sighed, before hearing an order from the officer.

"In case we get reports of loyalist forces being reinforced, get some volunteers from the pilots to provide cover fire for our SNB commandos and renegade STU officers."

"Understood, Colonel Mishima." The rebel crewman saluted again before leaving Lieutenant Colonel Mishima alone in the bridge.

* * *

Conference Room, EUA Thomson Base, somewhere in Toa Payoh, Singapore, Equatorial Union 

"Tell me again why are we here?" Avir asked Rick inside the conference room, the latter already a bit irritated by his Israeli comrade. A day had passed since Rick and some of the other NSF and professional servicemen had gone to hide in the secret base somewhere in the mountains near Toa Payoh.

"We've been here for a day and besides," Rick scratched his head. "we're hiding here before we move out on our next objective." _It's a good thing that this was one of the bases that the EURM had already controlled. It even has a secret airstrip._

"Is that so?" Hamid came in with the other remaining NSF conscripts, decked in their Equatorial Union Army flecktarn uniforms. "So what's next then, boss man?"

"We do have to wait for Rachel here. She mentioned something about introducing us to a reporter who's going to be with us until we were able to oust the president."

"Hey guys." greeted Rachel, opening the door to the conference room after Hamid and the other NSFs were inside.

"Is the reporter here?" asked Tim, looking at her from being seated at one of the chairs near the conference table.

"Yes." Rachel moved outside to call the reporter. "You can come in, now."

The reporter, who had went inside, had turned out to be a female. Her Asian looks, with her long black hair, fair complexion and youthful looks, were enough to reduce all of Rick's NSF contingent into drooling suckers.

_Wait a minute. _Rick knew that he met the reporter from somewhere. _Isn't she from my old school? _He then decided to bring things to order. For instance, snapping his friends from eyeing the reporter like some sort of candy.

"Ehem." began Rick, making the other NSF conscripts mumble apologies while shuffling their feet on the ground.

"She's Yuki Omura of the Orb News Channel. Yuki's going to be embedded with us for a while." introduced Rachel, making Rick jog up lost memories from the old days back in high school. She was sporting a light blouse with black pants on with rubber shoes.

"Yuki?" Rick said, facing the Japanese reporter. "You remember me, Rick Chung? You were a senior when I was a freshman back in high school."

"Rick? Rick Chung?" Yuki began to reflect a bit before she snapped her fingers. "The Rick Chung! Of course I do remember you." She then broke into a smile, nearly making Rick's heart beat fast.

"You know her?" Davan asked, a bit curious after reading Rick's facial expression.

"Yeah." Rick ran his hand on his black hair. "She was my senior when I entered high school as a freshman. You can ask Alec and some of my mates on her. I never expected her to be a journalist, thought she might be a writer or something."

"So what's her story then?" questioned Luis, a bit confused by her mere presence.

"The Orb News Channel had asked Major Bauer and some of the EURM officers if they would allow a reporter to be embedded with us." replied Rachel, fixing her glasses.

"Sounds fair." answered Hamid. "Loyalists forces are getting a reporter or two from CNN."

"Not surprised." huffed Avir. "CNN's based in the Atlantic Federation, so those higher ups in OMNI must be trying to use them as propaganda measures."

"Speaking of propaganda." Davan snapped his fingers. "There's something I have to show you guys." Turning the lone TV set on, he tuned it in to the CNN channel.

**"With the apperance of an unknown teenager named Rick Chung as a spokesman for the Equatorial Union rebels, his popularity has been raised in nations from around the globe and in the PLANTS as teenage girls have been intrigued by his charisma and looks after his initial apperances with reporters over an attempted attack on the rebel-held Amoy Quee Camp base. Just who is Rick Chung and what is his involvement with the rebels? A special documentary of the teenaged college student/rebel fighter will be out next week."**

"Ain't that cool?" grinned Tim. "You're now the subject of beautiful, teenage girls who'd probably want to ravage you with their hot, steamy bodies." His remarks made Yuki and Rachel blush, making Rick groan.

"Save it!" grunted Rick, dismissing the Scottish NSF conscript's comments. "That ain't important for now," _Though it could help me in the long run. _"General Kowen told me that we should start staging our attacks in coordination with our EURM colleagues in South Asia."

"I'll lead you outside." Hamid offered to escort Yuki outside with Rachel, since Rick was now preparing to discuss military operations in preparation to _take _the country back from their president.

* * *

Airstrip, EUA Thomson Base, somewhere in Toa Payoh, Singapore, Equatorial Union 

_Here goes nothing. _Rick was seated next to a rebel pilot, who like all rebel personnel from the Equatorial Union military, wore a red armband to symbolize his allegiance to the EURM. Rick was with Hamid and Luis, who were seated in the cockpit area, buckling their seats for the flight from inside a Dirgantara Indonesia CN-235MD aircraft, modified from the CN-235-300 transport to house mobile suits with a maximum of 6 for each CN-235MD.

"Are we expecting any kind of opposition, Rick?" said Hamid, fastening his seat buckle securely.

"Maybe some anti-aircraft sites aside from loyalist soldiers and vehicles, if I recall correctly." Rick wiped the sweat off his forehead.

"Great." Luis stared at his watch. "And it's what? Like 9 in the morning. I feel a bit tired." He then yawned, but covered his mouth.

"I know." frowned Rick. "But General Kowen insisted that we have to take out that place first before we can move on."

Hamid raised a question to Rick. "Say, where's Yuki?"

"She's with Rachel and the others in another CN-235MD. They should be behind us."

"Fine." Hamid nodded.

After a while, the pilot informed Rick that they have the green light to take off. Rick gave him a thumbs up, indicating that they should take off now. With that, the pilot activated the engine and made the transport ready before it took off after a few minutes after getting an acknowledgment from the control tower.

* * *

Waters near EUN Changi Naval Base, Changi East, Singapore, Equatorial Union 

"Sir!" One of the on-duty technicians reported to his supervisor. "We've got authorization from the defense secretary to launch the ships immediately!"

"What?" said his supervisor, tipping his cap a bit before putting a hand on his brown pants pocket.

"We've got reports that majority of the personnel at the Bukit Merah and Queenstown Naval bases have been seized by rebel soldiers and their sympathizers."

_Damn! _The supervisor ran out to meet with the base's officers. _If we didn't revert the status of Tuas as a civilian-managed port!_

* * *

Bridge, _Des Moines _class ship _EUS Bataan_

"Sir!" A rebel crewwoman saluted the OIC of the ship, who had the rank of major. "We've given them the signal that we're about to port."

"Good. Tell the gunners to fire on the signal." The major gestured to her that she can leave. Glancing at his watch, he noted the time left prior to the planned attack.

_Only 4 minutes before those planes arrive. _Glancing up to see the view of the Changi Naval Base from the bridge, he took the microphone and spoke through it by clicking on the speak button on its side.

**"This is the Bridge. Who's sailing with Bataan today?"**

**"Major. The _Palawan _and the _Bangkok_ are sailing with us. The rest are still in Subic, though a few more Des Moines and Fraser ships are with us."**

**"All right. Prepare the cannons to fire on my signal."**

**"Yes sir."**

Looking at his left and right, he observed the Palawan and the Bangkok were at his sides. The former was a Des Moines ship while the latter was a Fraser class ship. Their armaments were enough to use for a later assault of a base located on shore.

**"Okay." **The major spoke on the microphone again. **"Fire on my mark!"**

**"Ready, sir!" **He heard the Des Moines' rapid-fire cannon being readied to open fire. **"Major! The _Palawan_ and the _Bangkok _are ready to fire as well!"**

**"Fire!"**

* * *

Airspace near EUN Changi Naval Base, Changi East, Singapore, Equatorial Union 

"All righty! Look!" Luis stood up from their seat after removing his seat buckle and watched an initial skirmish between loyalist and renegade destroyers and cruisers before a cannon shot destroyed a parked Laguna with Equatorial Union Navy military police markings.

"Battle's on!" Rick stood up from his seat and ran towards the cargo hold. "Hamid, Luis! This is our first target, remember?"

"All right!" Luis ran inside the cargo hold with Rick. "But I think I saw an anti-aircraft gun placement below near the entrance to the Changi Naval Base."

Smirking at him, Rick grinned at him before getting his pilot helmet on as they had their pilots suits already donned. "Then somebody had better call on the exterminator."

Entering his Secundus mobile suit, he activated the unit's OS and external cameras before using a radio channel to Tim's. **"Tim, did you get the others?"**

**"They're already waiting for the signal. They just booted up their own OS units."**

**"Alright." **Rick had the opaque lens close down on his helmet, concealing his face. **"Matt and the others are going to give us support fire while we flush out the base's defenses. You guys ready?"**

**"Ready!" **Tim and Luis, on Rick's viewscreen, gave their thumbs up with their faces concealed by their helmet's opaque face lens.

**"Alrighty then! Launch!"**

The rear cargo doors of the CN-235MD opened, enabling Rick to launch his Secundus mobile suit out of the plane's belly.

Within minutes, all three Secundus mobile suits had activated their rear parachute packs, ready for action.

* * *

Living Room, Andrew Waltfeld's Residence, Somewhere in the Orb Union 

"So what can you tell us about him?" asked Athrun, who was seated in the living room with the others after the not-so fortunate event with her mug. Andrew, kept on _crying _over his broken mug while being comforted by Martin.

"Well," Murrue bit her lip a bit hard. "Rick was my former neighbor when I lived in the Philippines a few years ago before I joined in OMNI."

"I see." Kira scratched his brown hair. "Cousin Rick did tell me about, according to him, a gorgeous woman who had a lot of _visitors _for most of the time when she was in his neighborhood." His remarks made Murrue blush.

"Ain't that something?" Dearka chuckled a bit, making the ex-OMNI officer blush even more.

"I did become his class advisor at his school." Murrue admired her feet before looking up to speak clearly to her friends. "And he was the class vice president, not to mention an honor student. I only saw him for the same time when he graduated from high school before I was summoned back to the Atlantic Federation for my commission."

"Wow." Lacus said, smiling a bit. "So you were his teacher and his neighbor, huh? That sounds wonderful."

"Yeah." Cagalli giggled. "It only happens once in someone's life when your beautiful neighbor turns out to be your teacher too?"

"Of course." Murrue smiled. "He's a nice boy and he was the role model in my former class, something that I was proud of."

"Hey, everyone." Dalida called everyone's attention, fixing his glasses. "Breaking news is back on."

As the TV began to broadcast the breaking news program of the Orb News Channel or ONC, everyone sat down on either the floor or the couches to listen to the latest headlines.

**"Good morning everyone. I'm Michiko Toyota with today's breaking news." **began the reporter. **"A while ago, various portions of the Equatorial Union are now being placed under the control of rebel forces after some brief skirmishes in certain regions of South Asia. Identifying themselves as members of the Equatorial Union Reformed Military or the EURM, these renegade soldiers are currently facing government forces in the Southeast Asian area with their comrades conducting small scale operations in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Our embedded reporter, Yuki Omura, is live over the airspace of Changi Naval Base. Part of Yuki 360."**

_Yuki Omura. _Murrue couldn't believe it when she heard the name of the reporter. _Wasn't she Rick's senior when he was in high school?_

**"Thank you, Michiko." **All the viewers from the living room were able to see a live and clear shot of Yuki reporting from one of the cockpits of the Dirgantara Indonesia CN-235MD. **"This is Day 1 of the Equatorial Union Civil War. As reported, EURM forces have now begun their assault on the Changi Naval Base below with rebel mobile suits and ships pounding the base from all sides. Leading the attack is Rick Chung, who was the designated spokesman of the group. EURM personnel were kind enough to show us a video reel of the current battle."**

Minutes later, some shots of the battle were shown on the TV screen while background was being played. The first few ones showed a variety of loyalist mobile suits and aircrafts rushing on a group of renegade Buster Daggers and Primus mobile suits. A few renegade Primuses were taken out, but the renegade mobile suits retaliated by taking out a number of F-7D Spearhead and VTOL Fighters with some Buster Daggers, Duel Daggers, Long Daggers, Strike Daggers and Primuses out of action.

**"Thank you for watching Yuki 360. As we speak, another group of EURM rebels are now beginnning to lay siege on the Tengah Airbase lead by a renegade Equatorial Union officer by the name of Bauer. Also, rumors began to circulate that the governor of Singapore has fled the area, raising speculation on who is in charge of the state." **

* * *

Outskirts of EUN Changi Naval Base, Changi East, Singapore, Equatorial Union 

"Come get some!" shouted Avir, who laid waste to a couple of anti-aircraft machine guns with his FERFRANS ML-1 beam assault rifle after using the said weapon to eliminate a couple of loyalist Primuses.

"All right! These prototypes aren't so bad!" Davan swiftly dodged a beam swipe by a loyalist Strike Dagger's ES01 beam saber and drew out his Distar Kris beam saber to slice the Striker Dagger in half.

Tim's Secundus was busy keeping some loyalist Buster Daggers and F-7D Spearheads at bay from the rest of the EURM-piloted mobile suits. Using the Floro 40mm multibarrel CIWS guns on the mobile suit's head, he gunned down a number of Spearheads before using his FERFRANS ML-1 beam assault rifle to take out some Buster Daggers before one of them tried to fire its 350mm anti-armor shotgun at him. Hamid kept close by, attacking some loyalist Fraser class ships that tried to attack him from the shore.

_Shit! This isn't looking good! _Rick's Secundus was strafing a group of Primus and Duel Daggers with his FERFRANS ML-1 beam assault rifle when he felt an explosion near his mobile suit, making his cockpit shake a bit.

**"Noel!" **Rick patched to the combat expert's radio from outside the battlefield. **"Are you still in the truck?"**

**"Yes, I'm still here! The guys in the camp have managed to repulse the enemy so far." **The Filipino NSF servicemen sighed a bit; Noel had mentioned that she would be in the Proton Arena M, a militarized version of the original Arena. The main difference was that its chassis was enlarged that its size was similar to actual military trucks with its windshield and side door windows being armored to withstand bullets up to .50 caliber. Since her vehicle was a command post, her truck is known as the Proton Arena MC, distinguished with antennas to indicate that it was used as a mobile command post.

**"Give me a status report." **Rick was barely able to evade a loyalist Strike Dagger's ES01 beam saber before using his Armor Piercer combat knife to stab it several times. Eyeing a Long Dagger behind it, he tossed it and watched the knife strike the Long Dagger's cockpit area before using the fallen Strike Dagger's M703 57mm beam rifle to destroy the government mobile suit.

**"We're gaining an advantage over the Changi defenders, but I heard radio transmissions that reinforcements from the EUA Pasir Ris base with air support coming from the EUAF Sembawang base."**

**"Great!" **muttered Rick, spotting a squadron of F-7D Spearheads approaching him when another Spearhead squadron came out of nowhere and started to gun down the loyalist fighters.

**"This is Red-1. I repeat, this is Red-1. We've been informed by Major Bauer and Captain de Gaulle that you needed some backup." **said the leader of the supposed renegeade F-7D Spearhead squad.

**"Red-1, this is Alpha leader. I need to get confirmation on where you guys are from." **Rick said, still using the Strike Dagger's M703 57mm beam rifle to shoot down a loyalist VTOL Transport that attempted to paradrop a group of Long and Duel Daggers.

**"We're from the Tengah Airbase, Alpha leader. That's all you need to know."**

_That means, Major Bauer already occupied the airbase with the help from its renegade staff members._

**"All right." **Rick broke into a smile, unseen from under his opaque face lens. **"Appreciate your help."**

Rick later confronted a Primus and a Long Dagger with their beam sabers already drawn. Seemingly cornered, Rick smirked and cooly drew out his custom-made "Liu Bei" Dao saber from its giant sheath, twirling it on the Secundus' hand before slashing the Long Dagger's head and stabbing it after kicking it on the ground while slashing the Primus' legs and its body, cutting it into two.

_Good thing I had it custom-made during the OS construction back in Amoy Quee._

* * *

**"Damn you all!" **shouted a loyalist Buster Dagger pilot, furiously trying to gain an advantage over the rebel forces by blasting his 350mm gun launcher and 94mm high-energy beam rifle at both rebel mobile suits and fighter planes when he received a signal to withdraw. 

**"Sir!" **The pilot keyed in on his radio. **"Why do we have to withdraw?"**

**"It's over. Changi Base has already fallen."**

**"But we're still fighting them. Even our ships are facing the rebel scumbags in the waters."**

**"You will follow the orders given to you by your superiors. Is that clear?"**

The loyalist pilot gritted his teeth, wanting to punch his monitor. But he instead complied with his instructions, **"Yes, sir."**

Moments later, all remaining loyalist mobile suits and aircraft retreated from the battlefield, leaving the battle near Changi Base a victory for the rebels. Cheering and jubilation came from the cockpits of both rebel mobile suits and fighter pilots, including renegade soldiers and crewmembers of the rebel ships who had fought tooth and nail against government troops still trapped in the confines of the Changi Base.

* * *

Parking Lot, EUN Changi Naval Base, Singapore, Equatorial Union 

Rick emerged out of his Secundus, using its linear cable to bring him down. Renegade conscripts and full-time soldiers in combat gear and toting their ST Kinetics SAR-24 assault rifles began to take up defensive positions around the base. Renegade Guardsmen and SNB commandos began to escort loyalist soldiers, officers, employees and maintenance crewmembers of the Changi Naval Base by making them walk out of the building with their hands on their head after being forced to disarm. The renegade ships captured in Subic Bay were tasked to patrol the newly captured Changi Base from being attacked via waters.

_So it was a sucess. Now what?_

"Rick." Rick turned his head to focus on Matt, Larry and Anish. The three pilots were coming down from their own mobile suits via linear cables.

"Good work back there, mate." Larry ruffled Rick's hair, earning a laugh from Matt and Anish.

"Have to admit it though." grinned Anish. "For someone who didn't have much combat experience, you sure act like a professional."

"Thanks guys." Rick gave high fives to Matt, Anish and Larry before hearing the loud footsteps of Hamid, Tim, Luis, Avir and Davan after coming down from the linear cables.

"Hey, Rick." Avir smiled a bit. "You were pretty impressive with that thing out there." He pointed to the custom sheath mounted on Rick's Secundus.

"That's a Dao. A Chinese sword used in the old days." explained Rick. _And I named it Liu Bei since some of Dad's relatives were based from his line._

"So now what?" Tim ruffled his brown hair. "Are we going to wait here?"

"It's good too." Davan eyed the main building of the Changi Base. "Since it wasn't that damaged, we can spend the night here."

"Guys!" All of the pilots turned around to see Noel runnig towards them. Yuki was with her cameraman, recording the action for the news while she reported the aftermath of the battle.

"Noel." Rick smiled at her. "Nice work back there."

"Thanks." Noel smiled back. "But we've got some orders from the EURM."

Matt reached out a hand to her, "And they are?"

"We're to stay here and consolidate our position until we're ready to move out again. They'll send out some supplies for us."

"But what about the the airport?" asked Luis, a bit concerned.

"No need to worry." assured Noel. "The airport has already been under our control in the middle of the battle to evacuate foreign nationals."

"All right." Matt took the papers from Noel's hands before handing it to Rick. "They're the real deal."

"Hmm..." Rick went inside the semi-empty main building of the Changi Naval Base reading the orders, preparing to spend the rest of the afternoon resting up for the rest of the battles ahead of him.

Chapter 5 END


	6. Big Plans

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED/Kidou Senshi Gundam SEED: Rebellion

By: Ominae

Rating: T

NOTE:

Concept of the Gundam SEED series are under the copyright of Mitsuo Fukuda, Bandai and Sunrise. Cameo appearances of characters from Mobile Suit Gundam: Lost War Chronicles are under the copyright of Bandai Games, Masato Natsumoto and Tomohiro Chiba. All other characters and technology (weapons, vehicles) are under my jurisdiction, with some exceptions.

Summary:

With the EURM making some clear gains against the national government, it would seem that loyalist forces have been temporarily forced to retreat, but up to what extent? Meanwhile, Changi Naval Base has been taken out in a series of sieges been conducted by the EURM to gain an advantage over goverment forces. Can they maintain the upper hand for long? Stay tune to this chapter to find out.

Chapter 6: Big Plans

Living Room, Andrew Waltfeld's Residence, Somewhere in the Orb Union

It was now the second day of the current civil war in the Equatorial Union and it was also early morning; Andrew and the rest of the others were now seated inside the living room, waiting for another update from the ONC.

"It's kinda scary to think about it, Kira." Lacus played with her pink hair. "I mean, your cousin happens to be one of the leading personalities in this coup."

"You're right, Lacus." Kira shuddered a bit, thinking of Rick fighting in the streets of Singapore with his official infantry gear. "He was a bit of a charismatic speaker when he was in high school."

"Kira's right." Murrue offered to explain. "I do remember Rick was able to run for a term in the Student Council due to his charisma when he spoke to the entire student assembly once when he was a freshman. I still recall it like it was only yesterday."

Martin then spoke up next. "Then the EURM leaders made Rick as the right choice to be their image boy."

"The rebels have seemed to make some good gains over the goverment." Athrun recalled the report made yesterday regarding the seizure of the Changi Base. "They did seize some bases around the Equatorial Union and they also captured a majority of the ships given to the military by OMNI, so that should give them an advantage."

"Breaking news is on." Miriallia called everyone inside the living room to the TV as the ONC began to broacast its live news reporting from the Equatorial Union.

**"Good morning. Live from the rebel-held Changi Naval Base of Singapore in the Equatorial Union, this is Yuki Omura reporting for ONC." **Yuki's face appeared on television. **"This is Day 2 of the ongoing crisis between loyalist and renegade elements of the Equatorial Union military with backing from the civilian populations as small brief protests were held in various parts of the nation in support of the EURM and in support of Rick Chung, who was recently declared as the representative of the group. The rebels, as you see behind me, have announced that they were now in the process of preparing another operation somewhere in the island state. They refuse to comment on the nature of the operation for security and operational reasons." **Everyone noted that Yuki wore a kevlar vest for her own safety as a stray bullet could kill her in a matter of minutes.

"Heh." Andrew couldn't help but grin. "I wonder if your boy was helping the EURM win, Murrue."

"I really don't know." Murrue's right index finger played with a bit of her brown hair. "I really don't know."

**"President Chua Tseng-yu had called for a press conference from the Seri Perdana in Pahang, Malaysia. In the press conference, he has condemned the revolt by EURM members, calling them as enemies of the state. In addition, he has called Staff Sergeant Chung's allegiance to the EURM a simple serviceman who was misguided by the leaders of the revolt."**

"Ooohh..." Andrew grinned at Murrue. "Looks like someone has some bad blood against your little boy." Murrue glared at him for his remarks. Kira, on the other hand, was a bit worried that his cousin was branded a traitor. Cagalli, too, wanted to cry for the news doesn't seem to favor them too.

* * *

Command Center, EUN Changi Naval Base, Changi East, Singapore, Equatorial Union

Now in the hands of the EURM, Rick Chung and Matt Healy began to make plans to conduct further sieges against goverment targets as Major Bauer was still in EUAF Tengah, also preparing his forces for further plans to conduct attacks on other goverment targets now that most of the southern and central Singapore are in the hands of the rebels.

"Current news is that from the downtown area," Rick began to explain the situation to Matt and the other pilots inside the command center, pointing to a digital map on a screen. "All right. The Special Tactical Unit's training center and and the governor's mansion were occupied by civilian protestors, forcing the governor to surrender while DMI headquarters were taken over by rebel Guardsmen soldiers. In addition, most of the existing loyalist bases have either been occupied or have been forced to surrender to our forces. So in calculation, only 81 percent of Singapore is under our control." _Now we need to capture NIB HQ in Malaysia..._

"So that means..." Matt pointed to the location of Paya Lebar and Sembawang. "Only the EUA Pasir Ris and the EUAF Paya Lebar and Sembawang bases remain as the only loyalist bases left in Singpore, even if the governor was under our custody. Most probably the president's still giving them orders."

"Yea." Rick nodded. "The secretaries were in Malaysia at the time for an important meeting. Looks like we'll be able to get them in a single swoop."

"Captain Healy." One of the radio operators called the renegade mobile suit pilot's attention. "Major Bauer wants to speak to you."

"I'll be there."

"So what happens then?" Anish took his time to examine the tactical map. "Do we have a final plan?"

"Thing is," Hamid expounded on Rick's analysis, pointing to the location of Paya Lebar. "we need to take out or occupy EUAF Paya Lebar first since it would be in our way prior to staging our operations in northern Singapore."

"Hey, guys." Matt had came off from the line with Major Bauer. "We're to head out and lay siege to EUAF Paya Lebar. Major Bauer's forces are going to give us tactical support."

"And EUA Pasir Ris?" asked Tim, drinking a plastic cup of water.

"We take care of that base afterwards."

* * *

Living Room, Andrew Waltfeld's Residence, Somewhere in the Orb Union

**"This is Michiko Toyota, reporting the breaking news for the ONC." **As always, Andrew and the others were inside his living room, keeping an eye on the latest headlines. This time, Kira's foster parents were with them to watch the breaking news. **"Updates are now available for Yuki 360, live from the Equatorial Union. Yuki, are you there?"**

**"Thank you, Michiko. This is Yuki Omura, reporting live from the EURM camp 40 kilometers away from the battle to occupy EUAF Paya Lebar and EUA Pasir Ris. It's almost nightfall and the start of Day 3. The governor of Singapore has been under the custody of the EURM after being turned over by civilian demonstrators, putting the country under de facto control of the rebel forces, with northern Singapore still under control of loyalist forces. Stay tune for more breaking news with Yuki 360." **

While the TV was playing the opening song for Yuki 360, Haruma and Caridad Yamato were shivering a bit to think about their nephew who had joined in on the rebellion.

"Why him?" Caridad felt like crying, who was being comforted by Haruma who embraced his wife. Looking at the worried couple, Murrue too felt a bit worried for her ex-student and neighbor, who had used his charismastic skills to serve as the de facto spokesman for the EURM and taking part in a bloody coup attempt. She wondered if she would have the chance to see him again.

* * *

Outskirts of EUA Pasir Ris, Pasir Ris, Singapore, Equatorial Union

**"Delta II, how are things on your end?" **Matt's Strike Dagger fired its M703 57mm beam rifle on some loyalist Strike and Duel Daggers before using the CIWS to engage a group of incoming F-7D Spearheads.

**"Don't know Delta Leader." **Anish's Duel Dagger went to slice through several Primuses with ease due to the use of his dual beam sabers. **"They didn't put up enough defenses. We could overrun this base in a matter of minutes." **Anish then used his beam sabers to stab a couple of loyalist ST Kinetics Bionix-2 tanks that tried to aim their 25mm cannons at him. **"Delta III, are you still alive out there?"**

**"Are you kidding me?" **grinned Larry from inside the cockpit of his Buster Dagger. He had a lock-on on a battery of Linear Artillery vehicles and fired at them with the 220mm missile pod. **"The opposition here is so lame!" **Eyeing a group of loyalist Duel and Long Daggers, he unleashed his 350mm gun launcher and 94mm high-energy beam rifle before converting them to a 350mm anti-armor shotgun that ripped through their ranks.

**"Understood Delta III. I'll try to patch through Alpha leader." **Matt was busy patching through Rick when he was almost shot by a squadron of VTOL Fighters. He drew out his ES01 beam saber and hacked it in the air above him, destroying them before turning the said weapon against a lone government Buster Dagger that tried to fire its 220mm missile pod.

"Shit!" Being in a hold done by a loyalist Primus that sneaked up behind him, he nudged him at at the rear with the elbows until he broke free. Cutting its hand with its beam saber, he lobbed its head off before stabbing the upper torso of the Primus before regaining radio contact with Rick's radio. **"Delta Leader to Alpha Leader, can you hear me? I repeat, this is Delta Leader to Alpha Leader. Can you hear me, over?"**

**"Alpha Leader here, urgh!" **Rick grunted in the radio, appreantly shaken in his cockpit by an explosion. **"Our assault on EUAF Paya Lebar is quite interesting."**

**"Such as?" **Matt raised an eyebrow on him.

**"The loyalist forces guarding the base aren't much of a pushover, which is strange."**

**"I know that." **Shoving a loyalist Strike Dagger that tried to stab its own ES01 beam saber, he lobbed its arm that had the beam saber on before kicking him away. **"I think they may be retreating out." **

**"Probably. They're probably trying to regroup at the main crossing near the Malaysia-Singapore state border."**

**"Let's hope you're right about that one."  
**

* * *

Living Room, Andrew Waltfeld's Residence, Somewhere in the Orb Union

"So what do we do about the situation?" asked Athrun, running his hand on his hair.

"I don't know." shrugged Cagalli. "I heard rumors that the interim council is coming to a decision on whether to condemn the action or not. But so far, they've been stating that they're neutral on the infighting at the Equatorial Union."

Kira saw his mom was still a bit shaky over the revelation that his cousin, Rick, was one of the few National Servicemen who eagerly joined in the rebellion. He went over to talk to her.

"Mom," Kira spoke to his mom softly. "are you okay?" Despite the discovery of Kira's origins, he still considered the Yamatos to be his true family with Cagalli also even if she was to be the next leader of Orb.

Without any warning, Caridad hugged Kira tightly while crying. The Coordinator simply returned the hug of his mom.

"Bless her." said Reverend Malchio calmly. "It does show what love she still has for her nephew."

"There's something on the news." Kojiro said, making everyone inside the living room turn their attention towards the TV; even Caridad lightly had Kira in her arms while watching the news.

**"This is Yuki Omura, reporting live from the EURM camp 40 kilometers away from the sieges of EUA Pasir Ris and EUAF Paya Lebar. Over the battlefield behind me," **Yuki pointed out the area behind her, which echoed the sounds of beam shots being fired, doubled with jets flying over and firing its missiles and machine guns and linear artillery and tanks firing their main armaments. **"EURM contingents are battling to gain sucessful control of EUA Pasir Ris and EUAF Paya Lebar. According to EURM transmission reports that I've received, the battle seemed to be at the advantage for the EURM against government forces."  
**

* * *

Conference Room, Department of Defense Building, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Equatorial Union

"This is an outrage!"

Anwar Yusof, secretary of the Department of Defense, slammed his hands on the conference table in a meeting being held by top officials of the army, navy and air force with the heads of the DMI and NIB. He stood up from his chair earlier to do this.

"I can't believe it!" Anwar pointed to each of the delegates with his right index finger. "All of you were not able to uncover this coup plot by Major Bauer or the other officers, soldiers and NSF conscripts. What's worse is that we have two fronts to fight in the Equatorial Union."

"Mr. Secretary." began General Lim Choong Wong, head of the Equatorial Union Army. "These so-called EURM rebels were able to keep their tracks well clean that our agents from the DMI and NIB were not able to uncover them."

"He's right." added Admiral Mark Blair of the Equatorial Union Navy. "But now that these rebels proclaimed themselves on the media outlets as the liberators of the country, recent polls suggested that 89 percent of the population are willing to support them."

"In that case," General Jose Lopez of the Equatorial Union Air Force. "we have to double time and find out how we can stop them."

"But that's why we're currently having this meeting!" snarled Anwar, snapping at the officers. "We're here to brainstorm some ideas on how we can stop them." He turned his gaze to the heads of the DMI and NIB. "But first, we need an intelligence update."

"Of course Mr. Secretary." Director Chung Gil Rhee of the NIB briefed the attendees on the latest NIB intelligence report. "My assets have said that most of South Asia is in the hands of EURM forces. In addition to that, their forces have ousted our border guard troops from the borders with the Eurasian Federation and the Republic of East Asia and have replaced them with their own forces."

"Also," Director Vadim Patrushev of the DMI also briefed everyone with a DMI report. "over 60 percent of the military have defected to the EURM, mostly due to the events that led to the protest massacres that occured after the president gave televised speeches on his backing to OMNI and his support for the invasion of the United Emirates of Orb. I've also confirmed some transmission that some members of our police force are also divided, with almost half of the force supporting the EURM as well." He was lucky that he was in Malaysia when the DMI headquarters came under attack by EURM forces, according to a news report.

Anwar sighed after hearing the two intelligence reports and slumped a bit on his seat.

"This situation is not good." He drank his glass of water before setting the empty glass back down on the conference table and rubbed his forehead. "With almost half of the military and police backing the EURM, this seems to be hopeless. Very hopeless, just what we need."

Someone grinning and chuckling was heard from the end of the conference table, making the defense secretary a bit angry.

"What's so funny?"

The man chuckled again at the defense secretary. "Why must you be so worried when you have an ace in the bag?"

Anwar glared at him. "I don't know what crazy thing did our president have dealt with yours, but I must warn you that you have to work with what's left of our military."

"I assure you," the man lifted his right hand. "I have no intention of usurping command from your generals. My own contingent will see to that."

"Of course." Anwar sighed again. "President Chua did request for some help from OMNI, though he requested not to have a large force sent since this would be an internal affair."

"Yes." grinned the man. "After what happened in the Second Battle of Jachin Due, my government has been very careful to possibly avoid another repeat of anything similar to that, or to a police action done in the Vietnam War."

"I do hope that we can hope on to your words."

"I am sure that you can all trust me." The man stood up from his seat. All the delegates, including the defense secretary, noted that the man had long blonde hair with a strange and weird mask. He donned a black uniform that belonged to the Atlantic Federation, with his rank pins on his collar indicated that he was a captain in the ranks of the Atlantic Federation military. "Don't you all think that I can keep my word?" The masked man broke into a grin before he gave a wicked smile, nearly sending frightful chills to the delegates except the defense secretary.

"I think all of us can trust your words, Neo Roanoke."

* * *

En route to EURM camp, Somewhere in Singapore, Equatorial Union

Rick and his other comrades decided to regroup temporarily at their base camp after the sucessful attack on EUAF Paya Lebar. Flying back to their camp with the thrusters activated on their Secundus mobile suits, almost all of them were not able to wonder how easy it was to take out their way, especially Rick.

_Strange. The defense that they set up in Paya Lebar was too easy for us to overwhelm. I mean, only a few tanks and mobile suits with an infantry battalion were only present._

**"Rick!" **Avir called out to him on his radio. **"You still out there?"**

**"Sorry!" **blurted Rick. **"Was trying to think about something."**

**"If you're thinking about the defense in Paya Lebar, it is definitely strange."**

**"You're right about that." **Tim's voice came in Rick's radio too. **"Why do they only have a few troops, tanks and mobile suits? Did they plan to abandon the base like what Matt and the others did in EUA Pasir Ris?"**

**"Guess we'll have to figure that out later." **Davan's voice then came in Rick's radio. **"Hey, camp's nearby now."**

* * *

EURM Camp, Somewhere in Singapore, Equatorial Union

After landing their Secundus mobile suits on a vacant spot in the EURM camp, Rick and the other five pilots lowered themselves on the ground with their linear cables. Matt, Larry and Anish were waiting for them with Rachel and Noel.

"Thank goodness you guys were here." Rachel had sounded a bit desperate when Rick and the other pilots were on the ground.

"Rachel, calm down." Rick implored. "What's happening?"

"Big announcement on TV." said Noel. "Heard that the president has requested assistance from OMNI."

Suddenly, a deafening sound echoed throughout the entire rebel camp.

"What the hell did you say?"

* * *

Corridor, Department of Defense Building, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Equatorial Union

"Hachoo!" Neo sneezed while walking to an elevator with Anwar Yusof after the conference was done for the day.

"Are you all right?"

"Yes, I am." _That's odd. Someone's probably thinking about me..._

* * *

EURM Camp, Somewhere in Singapore, Equatorial Union

Inside the Proton Arena M truck, the pilots and support staff alike listened to a televised broadcast of President Chua live from the Seri Perdana.

"I don't believe it." Larry placed his hand on his blonde hair, frowning. "The president has the nerve to call for help!"

"Yeah." muttered Anish, frowning as well. "Of all those he asked for help, he asked help from those monsters."

"So what now?" Luis massaged his neck. "Not only do we have to deal with those thugs in the government, but we'll also have to take care of those guys from OMNI Enforcer."

"Great." Davan sneered at the annoucement. "Another Vietnam-style police action's coming our way."

"Hey guys." Yuki came inside the truck, telling everyone more additional news. "I heard some interesting rumors that's been circulating around with the journalists."

"Such as?" Matt raised an eyebrow at the embedded ONC journalist.

"Hey, hey." Rick called on everyone inside the truck to keep quiet. "It's on now."

* * *

Living Room, Andrew Waltfeld's Residence, Somewhere in the Orb Union

**"In other latest developments, the president of the Equatorial Union had said in a press conference that he sought the assistance of OMNI in quelling the coup attempt."**

"Oh no." Caridad shivered and almost fainted when she heard the announcement.

"This does not appear to be good." Reverend Malchio said, hearing the news.

"Say, where's Lacus?" asked Miriallia, looking around the living room.

"I think she went back to the orphanage a few minutes ago to check on the kids for Reverend Malchio." replied Kira, checking his watch. "She'll be back after an hour or so."

A knock came on the entrance of Andrew's house, making the viewers wonder who it was.

"I'll go get it, sir Waltfeld." Martin excused himself in order to answer the door. A few minutes later, Lacus came back with an interesting stranger that most of the people inside were familiar with.

"Greetings, everyone." The blonde man fixed his glasses and removed his jacket, revealing a red polo shirt with jeans. "I was told to come here at such a short notice."

"Ah." Andrew smiled at the visitor. "Glad you received my message."

"Mr. Carry!" Kira was shocked to see the visitor; he and Jean were the only ones who had experience in piloting all three mobile suits from OMNI, ZAFT and the Orb Union. Many have considered it as an interesting achievements, since both were of Coordinator heritage.

"It's good to hear from you." Jean smiled at the boy. "I hope you're doing well."

"Yes, sir."

"And I'm sorry to hear about your cousin's involvement in the coup attempt."

"Thank you Mr. Carry. My parents will appreciate it." He then let Jean face his parents.

"Of course. I do hope it goes well with your nephew, Mr. and Mrs. Yamato."

"We thank you, Mr. Carry." thanked Haruma, who was beside his wife.

**"So Rick, how do you comment against the president's remarks regarding your status with the EURM in whole." **Everyone in the living room, now including Jean Carry, were watching Yuki Omura interviewing Rick Chung. He was still wearing his Equatorial Union pilot suit.

_So he's the poster boy of the EURM? Very interesting? _Jean took a seat next to Martin in the couch, deciding to watch the new development.

**"He can say whatever he wants." **Rick scoffed at the press conference. He was on the screen crossing his arms on his chest. **"He's only saying those because he knows that almost half of his military is defecting to our side due to the massacres. The president knows that he did a bad mistake, but he's only covering them up to make himself look good. The people are already rising; they've been outraged not only over the slaying of unarmed demonstrators, but over the violation of our country's neutrality by making shady deals with OMNI and backing them up to the Second Battle of Jachin Due."**

"Wow." Lacus was amazed at his words.

"Well, well." Jean couldn't help, but grin at the young rebel. "Looks like he could be a future politician for all we know."

"Jean's right." Andrew faced Murrue again, grinning at her. "We might be seeing a future Equatorial Union president."

"Right." Murrue said sarcastically. Kira, Cagalli, Lacus and Miriallia could only smile at the Desert Tiger's comments.

**"Rick, I've also heard rumors that mercenaries are ready to set foot in the Equatorial Union to fight with EURM forces. How will you comment on this?"**

**"Yuki," **answered Rick. **"I haven't received confirmation on the presence of mercenaries fighting in our ranks as this is recent news that I've heard as well. So far, I cannot confirm or deny the rumors."**

"Well, well." Andrew stroked his chin. "This is very interesting indeed."

"You have something in mind?" Jean watched the ex-ZAFT commander think about the latest development.

Murrue was a bit alarmed, "You're not serious on going to..."

"Relax." Andrew assured her. "I haven't decided yet, but my gut's telling me something else."

"Such as what sir?" Martin was curious to know what the former Desert Tiger had in mind.

"Before we start of course, I just need to know one thing from all of you inside here." Andrew said, wanting to know the answer from the other occupants of the room.

Dearka raised an eyebrow at him. "And that is?"

The big finish was dropped on them as Andrew smiled first before saying his question.

"Who wants to volunteer and fight for the EURM?"

His grin had left them stunned with the question that he had challenged them with.

Chapter 6 END

PS - Time for some of the other Gundam SEED characters (Original, MSV, Destiny, Astray, etc.) to show up as mercenaries for the rebels. If you guys got some people who you may want to be mercenaries from any of the said series, drop a line when you review. Who knows, I just might bring someone alive from the dead. But some will stay dead for sake of canon reasons and all. (Shrugs shoulder!)


	7. Many Faces

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED/Kidou Senshi Gundam SEED: Rebellion 

By: Ominae

Rating: T

NOTE:

Concept of the Gundam SEED series are under the copyright of Mitsuo Fukuda, Bandai and Sunrise. Cameo apperance of Sophia DiFalco and other elements of Birds of a Feather are a courtesy from Solid Shark. All other characters and technology (weapons, vehicles) are under my jurisdiction, with some exceptions.

Summary:

With almost all of the Equatorial Union bases in Singapore captured by the EURM and with the nation itself finding its territories being occupied by the EURM, its president has sought for assistance from the OMNI Enforcer to quash the growing revolt. Help had arrived in the form of a mysterious masked officer named Neo Roanoke. In addition, rumors were circulating in Earth and in the PLANTs that mercenaries were being seen as fighting alongside EURM forces. How will the addition of this force play a role in letting the EURM win against loyalist forces? Stay tune to this chapter to find out.

Chapter 7: Many Faces

Bridge, Serpent Tail-owned _Laurasia_ class frigate, Space

"Hey Gai." called Reed Wheeler. The alcoholic member of Serpent Tail was manning the controls of their Laurasia class frigate with Elijah Kiel.

"Yeah?" Gai Murakamo went inside, adjusting his glasses.

"Did you hear the news from the Orb News Channel?" chuckled the bearded man. "According to breaking news, the civil war in the Equatorial Union is fueling the demand for mercenaries."

"Indeed I did hear." Gai grinned at his comrade. "This is really interesting."

"What's interesting?"

Kazahana Aja entered in the control room with her mother, Loretta Aja in tow.

"Hey." Reed called out Kazahana, who simply nodded.

"I heard about this news." Loretta grinned a bit before facing Gai. "Gai, what do you make of this?"

The ex-Combat Coordinator thought for a while before he smiled at his crew, "I think we already have an answer for this."

Reed sighed; he knew that it was another opportunity for Serpent Tail to show itself. "Should I make contact with the EURM?"

* * *

Bridge, _Cornelius _class ship _ReHOME, _Space_  
_

"Hey everyone!" Lowe Guele ran inside the bridge with some good news. "I have some news that you may want to hear for a few minutes!"

"Did you say something?"

Lowe turned around and saw the Professor walking inside, tilting her glasses to see the Junk Guild technician.

"Of course, Prof!" Lowe was happily smiling to her and to the George Gleen hologram, which looked at him with much confusion.

"Hey guys!" Yoon Sefan peeped her head inside to see what the excitement was all about. "Heard somebody's a bit happy today."

"I did too!" Liam Garfield grinned when he was inside the bridge. "Got something to tell you, Lowe?"

"Well," The teen grinned and scratched his brown hair. "You guys have about the civil war going on in the Equatorial Union, right?" Seeing that everyone, including the hologram replica of George Glenn, nodded at him, he then resumed his story. "I heard rumors from some of our sources that a lot of freelancers are interested to join up with the rebels against the government."

"That is interesting." said the GG unit. "But there is a problem though."

"We're not hired freelancers." Prayer Reverie found his way to the ReHOME's bridge. "Our job is to salvage equipment, not to act like hired henchmen or such."

"Yeah." Lowe shuffled his feet on the metallic floor. "But I've been hearing stories from the EURM and that guy, Rick Chung."

"You mean Rick Chung?" An excited Kisato Yamabuki was now inside the room. "I've seen him on the air many times and he's quite handsome." Suddenly, her cheeks were turning red when she began to imagine how he really looked in real life.

Moments later, Canard Pars had entered the bridge to join up with them; he had apparently come to terms with Prayer Reverie and with Kira Yamato even though he has not personally met him yet.

"Hey." greeted Canard. "I got contacted by my old comrade from my Special Operations X days, Meriol Pistis. Said that mercenaries are slowly working their way towards the Equatorial Union. Did anyone else see the news?"

"I did as well." Yoon added. "According to the rebels and some news broadcasts from Orb and the other nations, the revolt started when armed police opened fire on unarmed protestors. That's when the EURM was then formed to oust the president from power; the group even has backing from most of the civilian populace."

"Well." The Professor once again fixed her glasses. "While the Junk Guild states that we can't kill unless our lives are being threatened," She sighed before speaking again. "I don't think that they are rules that governs what individual Junk Guild technicians are suppose to do if they operate without any official support from the higher ups."

"So meaning," Kisato spoke to the Professor. "We can't officially participate in the civil war?"

"Technically, yes." replied the Professor. "But there could be something that we can do to go around it..."

* * *

Somewhere in the Orb Union 

In the bustling and busy streets of Orb, a man with some strands of hair tied behind his back was walking down the streets of the neutral nation in civilian clothes. He was smiling when he looked around, the scar of the country had managed to rebuild itself in a matter of months.

_Been a while since the country was invaded by OMNI. It's good that the country's back to shape. Oh, a coffee shop._

Finding himself a seat, the man told the waiter that he wanted a cup of decaf coffee with sugar on it. While he waited for it, he felt someone patted his shoulder.

"Didn't expect to see you here, Barry Ho."

Looking to see who greeted here, he was a bit shocked to see who it was.

"Edward Harrelson."

"Aren't you glad to see me?"

"I only saw you once in South America after I saved a Junk Guild technician in the Amazon Forest from Courtney Hieronimus." Barry raised an eyebrow at Edward. "Why are you here?"

"Vacation. I heard about you since you fought back there at the Second Battle of Jachin Due." Edward shrugged. "Mind if I took a seat?"

Barry sighed. "Fine."

"You waiting for somebody?" Edward asked, going to his seat.

"No." The ex-Orb army mobile suit pilot shook his head. "Here for a little break. What about you?"

"Some time off." Edward replied, now seated. "Need a break from making preparation to fight OMNI in order to remove them from my land."

"I see." Barry did hear about Edward's supposed defection due to OMNI's occupation of the United States of South America or USSA for short after the Kusanagi fought in space with the Archangel and Eternal ships.

Edward then snapped his fingers, "But enough about that. Have you heard about the recent developments in the Equatorial Union?"

"Indeed." Barry nodded. "Some civilians have arrived today, seeking temporary refuge after the EURM allowed them to leave since they didn't want them to get involved."

"Nice of them to do it." A rare smile broke from Edward's face. "Probably inspired by the 2006 Israel-Lebanon Crisis."

"Probably." Taking his decaf coffee from the waiter, he sipped it a bit before asking the ex-OMNI ace pilot. "So what are you doing about this?"

"I'm thinking of joining in." Edward grinned. "They seemed that they can use a little help."

"I guess I could too." Barry shrugged his shoulders. "I did see the recent TV interview with a Rick Chung. He seems pretty charismatic."

"Kinda like me." Edward went into a thinking pose, making Barry roll his eyes at him. "You should know that a lot of mercenaries, Coordinator or Natural, are interested to fight against the Equatorial Union government and help the EURM oust their president."

"Well," Barry explained about the EURM. "they did come about after the protest massacres that took place after their president pledged allegiance to OMNI and backed the invasion of Orb and the Second Battle of Jachin Due." Barry looked at the ex-OMNI ace carefully. "If I recall right, we used to be enemies."

"Yeah." Edward nodded. "But forget about that one. I know that you and I have one thing in common."

"You're saying that we should enlist ourselves as foreign volunteers in the EURM?"

When Edward gave a wicked grin to him, Barry sighed and drank his coffee.

"I'll have to see." Barry closed his eyes and massaged his forehead. "I did hear that OMNI is going to give a hand to their president."

"What?" Edward hissed, clenching his teeth. "That's it. I'm planning to head there first thing." Barry knew that OMNI's presence in the Equatorial Union had given him bad memories of him being forced to work for them since the USSA was occupied.

"Seems like I'm with you too." Barry shook hands with Edward. "But I plan to drop by someone's place first later on. Wanna come?"

Edward chuckled at him. "Count on it."

* * *

Cafeteria, ZAFT Military Academy, Martius One, Martius City, PLANTs 

"Hey, did you guys hear about it?"

Lunamaria Hawke, a ZAFT military academy student, sat in a cafeteria table with some of her friends and sister after getting her lunch of the day.

"About what?" asked Shinn Asuka, gulping down his lunch down his throat with some water.

Rey Za Burrel, the mysterious ZAFT academy student and friend of Shinn and Lunamaria, sighed on Shinn's unawareness of the events that were taking place on Earth.

"It's about the situation in the Equatorial Union. I heard a group of renegade military soldiers and officers are leading the coup. Plus I heard some news."

"Really?" Shinn raised an eyebrow. "Didn't the Equatorial Union pledge their allegiance to OMNI?"

"The same." Meyrin Hawke, younger sister of Lunamaria, answered. "If I heard right, it began after the massacres when armed police officers gunned down some demonstrators." After saying it, she swore she saw Shinn have a sad look; Shinn's history was a bit known to his batch, but decided not to talk about it.

"I feel sorry for those guys." muttered Shinn, eating his mashed potatoes. _If those Atthas and the others were like the Equatorial Union president._

"Greetings, everyone."

Heine Westenfluss, ZAFT Red member and veteran of the Second Battle of Jachin Due, sat down with them with his lunch tray at hand. "I hope I can sit here." His FAITH badge was exposed on his uniform's collar.

"Of course you can." beamed Shinn, always wanted to have the honor of being seated with a veteran of the last battle.

"If I'm right, I believe that all of you were talking about the recent events in the Equatorial Union." Seeing Lunamaria, Shinn, Rey and Meyrin nod at him, he began to speak about it as well. "I'm convinced that the coup attempt didn't start only because of the bloody massacres, which was called Bloody Saturday Massacre, but it started as well since the protestors and the rebels have denounced their leader for joining up with OMNI."

"I wish they didn't do it though." Shinn said, recalling the death of his family. "But of course, this is a diiferent story."

"In fact." Rey grinned. "I did hear that stories are running of mercenaries being involved. But, sources say it's true or not true at all."

"Sounds interesting." Shinn had an evil grin. _Now's my chance to possibly get back at OMNI for killing my family._

"I'm sorry to burst your bubble," Heine explained. "but there's no way you can get involved in this as a foreign volunteer."

"He's right." Lunamaria added to support Heine's answers. "Some of us are still in school. Only Heine here has finished the academy ahead of us. I mean, we can get into trouble with our teachers."

"Are you saying that I might get involved in their civil war?" Heine raised a skeptical eyebrow at them.

"Possibly." Meyrin insisted. "After all, you are a FAITH operative."

Heine smiled at her, earning a blush from the pigtailed girl. "You may be right. Perhaps I should."

"Hello." Riika Shedar, another ZAFT Red found herself seated next to Heine. She was the only ZAFT Red to be born blind, though she had special glasses in order to compensate for her condition. But for non-combat purposes, she had to wear her non-regulated glasses according to current regulations.

"Um, hey." Shinn blushed. Even though she was blind, Shinn did like her since was pretty and had brown hair, not to mention being able to find her way around.

"What are you guys talking about?" Riika drank her own glass of water, missing the conversation.

"Just about what's happening in the Equatorial Union and the rumor of mercenaries being there." grinned Heine, eating his peas.

"Sounds interesting." smiled the blind girl, diving her fork on her salad. "Wonder what happens if I join up?"

"Who knows." shrugged Heine, smiling back at Riika.

Lunamaria whispered to Rey, "You think that we could sign up?"

"I don't know." Rey shrugged his shoulders, who whispered back. "After the recent confrontation with OMNI just outside the PLANTs, I'm not even sure if we can do so, but there may be a way around..."

* * *

Lobby, ZAFT Military Academy, Martius One, Martius City, PLANTs 

Yzak Joule, now a temporary PLANT Supreme Council member, sat down on one of the couches in the academy's lobby. He had gone in here with one of his men.

"Are you okay?"

Or a woman in particular.

"I'm fine, Shiho." Yzak eyed Shiho Hahnenfuss, a ZAFT Red Coat who fought alongside the Duel pilot in the Second Battle of Jachin Due, who had arrived from the restroom.

"You don't think we'll get good pilots from the academy, do you?"

"I don't know, Shiho." Even though Yzak was a temporary member of the Council, the two still address each other by first name only when they were not needed in Aprilius One. "The upcoming graduates do have some of the expectations that we had when I was in the ex-Le Creuset team, but not all of them do."

"But Yzak." Shiho frowned a bit, sitting on the couch next to him. "You're going to be a commander soon. Don't you think you need some manpower now for our team aside from me and Dearka?"

"Of course I do." Yzak sighed; he wanted to shout at Shiho right here and right now. But since they're in public, he opted against it. "But I need some time to think about it. Even when I'm gonna be given the commander status tomorrow, I still don't know who."

"All right." Shiho was thinking about something when she snapped her fingers. "By the way, you heard about the rumors going around the academy lately?"

"What?" Yzak raised an eyebrow. "You mean that the rumor that mercenaries, ZAFT and ex-ZAFT, are going to the Equatorial Union? Yeah, I did. Are you thinking of going there?"

"Well..." Shiho looked at the floor below her feet, not thinking on anything else to say.

"I don't blame you." replied the grey-haired teen. "I'm not your commander yet, so I can't reprimand you or anything. But if you're thinking about helping the EURM fight." Yzak stopped for a bit before speaking to his colleague. "Then I'll give you my support."

"Really, Yzak?" Shiho said, a bit glad.

"In fact." Yzak ran his right hand on his head. "I might even go with you. I do need some action after all."

* * *

In another part of the lobby, a woman wearing a white commander's uniform and a man wearing a black uniform, indicated that he was a ship's captain, were also at the lobby. The two had already toured the academy and observed several classes and the cafeteria when they arrived at their destination. 

"So Ms. Gladys." asked Arthur Trine, removing his captain's cap to scratch his head. "what do you think of the candidates so far?"

"They're not that bad Arthur." replied Talia Gladys, eyeing the captain replace his cap back on his head. "In fact, I already have some candidates in mind."

"Such as?"

"There's Shinn Asuka. I heard that some of his test scores with the simulators aren't that bad. Rey Za Burrel is another candidate in mind; his score's quite impressive, though next to Shinn's. Next is Lunamaria Hawke, her scores are a bit behind Shinn's and Rey's."

"Only three pilots for the upcoming Minerva, Ms. Gladys?"

"I'm afraid so." Talia nodded. "But please, call me Talia since we're not on duty yet."

"Of course, Ms. Gla...I mean Talia." Arthur embarrassed himself and remedied it by scratching the back of his head. Talia watched her subordinate try to _get rid _of his mistake; she giggled a bit when she saw him shuffling his feet after he scratched his head.

"I almost forgot to ask you something." The British officer set his attention back to reality. "Have you read about the rumors going around from within ZAFT?"

"Hmm?" Talia turned around and waited for Arthur to finish his question.

"I mean, I've been hearing stories about ZAFT personnel going to volunteer to fight for the rebel forces in the Equatorial Union."

"I did." nodded the commander.

"And aren't you going to stop this?" asked the captain.

"Why should I?" Talia looked at her subordinate very carefully. "They are going to fight as volunteers on their own free will. Besides, I don't hear of reports from the MPs going around to arrest them for trying to serve in the rebel forces."

"I guess that's true." sighed Arthur.

"But who knows?" Talia grinned at her subordinate, making him very suspicious and worried. "It's not like that I'm their commander or anything."

"Of course, Talia." Arthur took a minute to clear his throat and then he whispered to her ear, "Because I have some plans to be a volunteer member."

"Really?" Talia whispered as well and grinned at them. "Just to let you know Mr. Trine that I also have some plans to be a part of the volunteer force."

Her words simply left Arthur astounded while Talia could only grin at him a bit more.

* * *

Infirmary, ZAFT Military Academy, Martius One, Martius City, PLANTs 

"All right." A silver-haired man had just attended to his patient. "Have a nice day." He was wearing a white coat over his white polo shirt and had brown pants on.

"Thanks." A ZAFT Military Academy student had just received treatment after he tripped down the stairs on his way out of class. The man saw the patient out, telling him to be careful.

However, the physician himself was Mikhail Coast, former ZAFT soldier who had seen action in the Second Battle of Jachin Due. He had been a civilian doctor before heading out to ZAFT as he was interested in fighting a war. Many ZAFT personnel, even officers, fear him since he uses medical terms whenever he gets into a mobile suit. But after the war, he decides to return to his practice and eventually became the academy's residing physician. Though there were still people who fear him, Mikhail had changed for the better as he began to value the lives of people over himself after the Second Battle of Jachin Due.

_So, rumors of mercenary presence in the Equatorial Union? _Taking the PLANT Times on his desk, he discovered rumors that mercenaries were present in the Equatorial Union fighting for the rebels. Though it didn't say in the pages on whether it was true, it gave details of people who were thought to be heading for the country.

_The EURM needs mercs, huh? Looks like I can hone my skills again. _Grinning to himself, he wrote a note down on his notepad with the following details.

_Note:_

_- Make preparations to head to Equatorial Union_

- _Find out when to leave PLANTs for Equatorial Union_

* * *

Somewhere in Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil, United States of South America 

Walking in the streets of Fortaleza was a slightly tall man with brown hair, who had taken a break off from work.

_A long day at work. _The man sighed and ran his hand on his hair while enjoying the evening before heading off to eat at a local restaurant.

_There it is. _Getting inside a Brazilian restaurant, he sat down on one of the patio tables and was about to drink his ice cold water when he eyed someone sitting on his seat.

"Hey, good sir." grinned the man. "Mind if I sit here?"

"Who the hell are you?" glared the tall man, not wanting uninvited company.

"Jeez!" The man who had blonde hair tied to a small ponytail with a business suit complained before he sat down. "I just want to get friendly." He then eyed the tall man who wore a simple jacket with military pants and boots on.

"Fine." _It's not like he pulled out a pistol or anything. _"Go ahead."

"Name's Madigan. Kaite Madigan." He offered out his hand. "And yours?"

"Edmund." grunted the other man. "Edmund du Clos."

"So you're working with the DSSD, eh?" grinned Kaite.

"How do you know that?" Edmund was a bit startled at the information that Kaite had told him.

"I should know." grinned Kaite. "I have to."

"And why are you here in Fortaleza?" Edmund drank his ice cold water.

"I was just minding my own business 'til I saw you in here." Kaite took the glass full of water that the waiter had served him. "I know everything about you. You used to serve with OMNI as a Lieutenant Commander during the First Bloody Valentine War as a tank platoon commander."

"So you heard about me?" Edmund again sighed while taking a piece of bread to his mouth and chewed it before he swallowed it. "What about it? Do you need something from me?"

"Maybe, maybe not." Kaite killed a bug that crawled on his business suit. "I, however, do have something in mind."

"And that is?" Edmund was at least, a bit curious to know what it is.

"I heard that the Equatorial Union civil war is looking for some mercenaries to fight in." Kaite toyed with the water left on his glass. "I am planning to go there as a volunteer, but I was thinking if I could get a partner."

"This isn't some high school project." snarled the ex-OMNI officer. "I suggest you get this over with and look for someone else."

"I was told that you're the best that I can look for." insisted Kaite, sighing a bit at Edmund.

"I may be," grunted Edmund, wanting to throw his glass at him. "but I'm not a mercenary. I'm a security advisor for the DSSD."

"Come on." Kaite put up a friendly face while scratching his eyebrow. "True that most mercenaries fight for money, but there are others who plan to enlist as a volunteer soldier because of what they believe in. Think of it, you can do something that would be good for the many generations to come when the civil war comes to an end."

_He is right. _pondered Edmund. _Ever since the first war, I've been holding resentment against my former commanders for what they did to Junius 7. No innocent civilian should have been involved in it._

"Tell you what." Edmund sighed, finally agreeing. "I'll see if I can get some time off. My supervisor told me that my vacation time is already coming."

"Good." Kaite then shook hands with Edmund. "We can finally do something right for a change."

* * *

Dining Room, Andrew Waltfeld's Residence, Somewhere in the Orb Union 

"All right." Andrew was seated at the left side of the dining table with Kira, Cagalli, Athrun, Dearka, Miriallia, Sai, Murrue, Martin, Dalida, Kojiro, Jackie, Romero, Arnold, Jean and Reverend Malchio. Lacus had gone out again to help escort Kira's parents back to their home, a bit shaken by the news of their nephew.

"Then it's settled. Looks like we got some volunteers to fight with the EURM."

It had been decided in a discussion a while ago. Andrew and Martin had obviously decided to go and volunteer; Dearka had grinned and gave a thumbs up when he was asked by Andrew if he wanted to go, indicating that it was okay for him. Miriallia, though a photographer, was currently an amateur and 16 years old. Because of this, Andrew had spoken to Jess Rabble and asked if he would help accompany him to the Equatorial Union since she was underage. To his delight, Jess said that he was hired by Matias Aducarf to record and photograph the events for him and, as a bonus, for the EURM. He was also delighted that he would take Miriallia under his wing and help her become a professional photographer.

To the surprise of Murrue, her former crewmembers have also volunteered to go and sign up to fight for the EURM. Sai had mentioned that he was thinking of joining up also, but he wasn't sure since he may receive some opposition from his folks. Jean had told the gathered group that he had already linked up with the EURM as a mercenary volunteer; he was then given the task to see who else he could recruit to fight with them. Cagalli had wanted to go, but Athrun disagreed since it could put her into jeopardy while the interim council was still in control of the country since she was expected to be the next prime minister. Murrue said that she didn't feel like joining up as a volunteer.

"I hear a knock." Jean said while the group was still in discussion.

"I'll take that." Andrew stood up from his seat and went to the door to greet the visitors. Minutes later, he came back with some visitors.

"Hey, guys." grinned the ex-ZAFT officer of Israeli heritage. "Barry Ho's here with some more visitors."

"Barry." Jean nodded and shook hands with him; Barry later either shook hands or gave high fives to the teens. Edward was standing on the sidelines, waiting to be acknowledged.

"It's good to see you, Mr. Ho." greeted Murrue.

"Likewise." Barry smiled at her. "Listen, everyone. This is Edward Harrelson, ex-OMNI pilot who fought in the Second Battle of Jachin Due."

"So you're the one known as the Ed the Ripper." Kira chuckled, shaking his hand. "You don't look like a killer to me."

"Nah." Edward grinned. "It's just with the way I dispose of my oppenents." He then turned his gaze to the others seated on the dining table. "Well, I guess you all want to know why I'm here." When he saw all of them nodding, Edward replied. "I'm here 'cause I decided to help fight with the EURM, just like Jean here." He then patted his shoulder.

"Nice to have some volunteers." grinned Andrew. Suddenly, a loud knocking came on the door. "More visitors again."

_Wonder who could that be? _Murrue wondered while the others were busy talking with one another, talking about their intentions to volunteer when she saw the two visitors who Andrew allowed inside.

"Natarle." She was shocked to see her ex-comrade again after the battle that raged in space a few weeks ago. "What are you doing here?"

"I intend to volunteer as a mercenary volunteer for the EURM." replied the black-haired woman. "It's my way of redeeming myself for the mistake I made in the past."

Murrue nodded. "I understand."

Natarle broke into a rare smile that she nor her fellow Archangel comrades had seen before. "But, Murrue. I think you should see that someone else wants to see you."

A woman with long black hair walked inside the dining room, smiling at her.

"Sophia DiFalco..." Murrue whispered to the air around her. "I haven't seen you for a while..."

"Hello Murrue." The woman said. "It's good to see you again. But why? Are you going to..." Murrue saw her companion nod at her.

"I'm here to volunteer to fight for the EURM."

* * *

Somewhere in Cairo, Egypt, Eurasian Federation 

A man with a beard was being accompanied by a child who had a ponytail on her, who appears to be 12 years of age.

"Are you ready for this, Conil?"

"I already am!" snorted Conil Almeta. "I alway am."

"That I am sure of." grinned the bearded man. "If the elders were not that lenient as their predecessors were, we might not be able to leave."

"I know that." Conil frowned. "But ever since I saw what happened in the Equatorial Union, I wanna do my part and help the rebels overthrow their OMNI-backed government from power."

Sahib Ashman, leader of an anti-ZAFT occupation rebel force known as Desert Dawn, decided to shift his fight against OMNI forces when several tribes in the African Community had decided to welcome the Earth Alliance. Disgusted with them and with OMNI's show of force to retain control of the area from ZAFT, Sahib decided to leave and head to the Equatorial Union when he heard TV broacasts that mercenaries would be able to fight in Southeast Asia.

"Come on." Sahib faced his young companion. "The port's nearby." The two then walked towards the port as they were in the area in the previous day after spending the night at the house of one of Sahib's relatives.

* * *

EURM Convoy, en route to EUA Pasir Ris, Singapore, Equatorial Union 

**"WHAT!"**

The scream of Rick Chung inside the rear cab of the Proton Arena M, followed by several OMNI-made trailer trucks and a couple of wheeled Lagunas armed with ST Kinetics .50 machine guns, looking similarly to the American-made M1114 vehicles.

**"Major Bauer, I must insist! What, it's already been approved? You sure? But, I'm sure there's another way around it. You sure that they don't mind about this? Oh, all right!"**

Ending the quick call that Rick received from Major Bauer courtesy of the communications operator, he sighed while rubbing his hand on his face before taking a seat behind Noel's in front while a EURM soldier drove the truck.

"I got this for you." Noel said, handing an Equatorial Union Standard newspaper.

"Okay." Reading the headlines, the Atlantic Federation, Eurasian Federation, South African Union and the Republic of East Asia have condemned the revolt by the EURM. Other states such as the United Emirates of Orb, the PLANTs, the Oceanic Union, the Kingdom of Scandanavia and the Martian government officially stayed neutral to the issue, but at the same time called for a halt of all ongoing activity between government and rebel forces. There wasn't any mention of any statement from the African Community, but Rick was sure that these nations would unofficially allow their nationals to participate in the Equatorial Union Civil War as volunteer soldiers.

He wouldn't know for sure if the presence of these foreign volunteers, or mercenaries as Rick would call them, could turn the tide of their coup attempt against their pro-OMNI president.

Chapter 7 END

PS - Phew! Such a long chapter! I didn't mean to make it long, but I thought that it should be in order to let the readers know who are the possible mercs volunteers and non-merc personnel to go to the Equatorial Union. I do want to add the peeps of Gundam SEED C.E. 73 Delta Astray, but I don't have info at this point though.

If you want someone from the Gundam SEED series who should be a volunteer or a mistake in the chapter, let me know in the reviews. Also, it may be my last update since I'm having a vacation to California, unless I could update there. Otherwise, expect an update next month. ;)

And Solid, I haven't given Sophia her space yet. She'll have it eventually.


	8. Gathering

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED/Kidou Senshi Gundam SEED: Rebellion

By: Ominae

Rating: T

NOTE:

Concept of the Gundam SEED series are under the copyright of Mitsuo Fukuda, Bandai and Sunrise. Cameo appearances of characters from Mobile Suit Gundam: Lost War Chronicles are under the copyright of Bandai Games, Masato Natsumoto and Tomohiro Chiba. Cameo appearance of Sophia DiFalco and other elements of Birds of a Feather are a courtesy from Solid Shark. All other characters and technology (weapons, vehicles) are under my jurisdiction, with some exceptions.

Summary:

With mercenary/volunteer soldiers making preparation to enter the Equatorial Union from various nations and participate in the civil war as unofficial soldiers, Rick Chung and the rest of the EURM are now consolidating their hold on the majority of Singapore. Can they pull off their coup attempt and overthrow their OMNI-back president from power? Can the mercenaries make a difference in the civil war or not? Stay tune to this chapter to find out.

Chapter 8: Gathering

Runway, Kingsford Smith International Airport, Australia, Oceanic Union

Arriving on the runway of Kingsford Smith International in Australia was a PLANT-made space shuttle that arrived in a secluded spot of the airport after it arrived from the PLANTs.

The majority of its passengers had ties with ZAFT, meaning that they couldn't use ZAFT's Carpenteria Base for fear that it could lead to accusation that the PLANTs were supporting the EURM and OMNI could use that reason to lauch another battle against them, which both parties do not want to see right now.

As the space shuttle was being taxied before the aircraft would be serviced for another flight to EURM-held territory in the Equatorial Union, one of the passengers looked around and observed the passengers who were at their seats in civilian clothing.

_I don't believe it. A lot of the passengers are ZAFT who decided to volunteer and fight for the EURM. I heard rumors that ex-ZAFT personnel are here too, but I can't tell who._

The certain passenger happened to be Talia Gladys, who was currently wearing civilian clothes inside the shuttle. Looking around inside the cabin, she saw that there were a lot of ZAFT personnel who had volunteered as mercenaries. Talia noted that most of the personnel were Red and Green Coats, in addition to non-combat personnel.

_Strange. _mused Talia, looking around the cabin for some familiar faces that she may know beside Arthur, who she saw on the shuttle with her a few hours ago. _I swore that I saw some academy students were inside the plane. _

Talia even shivered in her seat when she almost saw someone familiar on the shuttle, who happened to have black hair and a scar on his nosebridge. She knew who the man's name was.

A man named Sato.

* * *

Entrance, Andrew Waltfeld's Residence, Somewhere in the Orb Union

"We're off, guys."

Andy Waltfeld had a brown jacket over his white shirt and blue jeans with the other volunteers outside waiting for Sophia inside the house. A while ago, it was revealed that Sai was allowed to participate in the campaign after Andy assured his parents that he would only take part in non-combat operations, most likely as an electronics specialist since he had studied robotics engineering for a short time before the attack of Heliopolis, his knowledge on handling electronic devices would come in handy. In addition, Cagalli had insisted to come along. Everyone tried to dissuade her, but all had failed and agreed to let her come if Kisaka would too. Athrun, for the most part, had been frustrated by Cagalli's temper. The two of them, while in the Equatorial Union, would try to operate under their alias. Cagalli would go by Cagalli Yula, the name she used in her days as a Desert Dawn guerrilla fighter and Athrun by Alex Dino, a new legend that he made up with aid from agents of the Security Intelligence Bureau or the SIB, the United Emirate of Orb's civilian intelligence organization.

"Sophia," Murrue called out to her friend from inside Andy's house. "please hand this envelope to Rick when you see him." She, Kira and Lacus told them that they would stay behind and keep an eye on the house while Reverend Malchio tends to the war orphans. "Tell him that he needs to read it."

"Sure." Sophia took the envelope from her and placed in on her jacket. "What's in it anyway?"

"It's a secret." Murrue smiled and shook her head, making Sophia sigh.

"Come on, Murrue. Just tell me."

"I'm sorry." insisted Murrue, shaking her head. "It's between me and him only."

* * *

Economy Class, Unknown Chartered Plane, Somewhere over the Pacific Ocean

"You like this, huh?" Kaite smirked at Edmund, seated next to him by coincidence. Inside their secretly chartered plane towards the Equatorial Union, other people of various nationalities and ethnic origins were also onboard the plane to take their chance in getting to the civil war-torn country. The Coordinator mercenary had, by chance, spotted Jess Rable in the plane before he took his seat in the plane.

"Whatever." Edmund ignored him and concentrated on _relaxing _on his chartered flight.

"You're so ignorant, my friend." grinned Kaite, drinking his regular Coke from his plastic cup as the plane continued its journey to the Equatorial Union.

"Yeah, right." Edmund huffed at him and decided to take a nap at his seat, knowing that his chartered flight to the Equatorial Union would take a few more hours after stopping over at Orb to refuel.

* * *

Bridge, retrofitted _Lesseps _class ship _Lesseps_

"Thanks for giving us a ride in the ship, Lowe." grinned Reed, drinking another bottle of scotch whiskey.

"Does he always drink?" Yoon whispered to Elijah while Lowe could only watch Reed empty the entire whiskey after he counted it to be his third bottle.

"Most of the time." answered Elijah, nodding his head.

"Where are the others?" Gai fixed his yellow sunglasses, looking around the bridge.

"Mommy had to go speak with Liam and Canard on something. Probably about the cargo." replied Kazahana, entering the bridge after returning from the toilet.

"I think she was talking about the combat readiness of the mobile suits in the cargo bay." surmised Prayer, scratching his blonde hair. _Canard mentioned something about his old colleague going to join up with him._

"Shame that the Professor didn't want to come with us." frowned Kisato, moving around on the seat near the Lessep's control panel.

* * *

Somewhere in India, Equatorial Union

Arriving in India after landing in Mumbai's ports, Sahib and Conil went out to venture into the city to gather fresh supplies and some lodging as their next ship would not be until the next day.

As Conil was inside their room at one of the local inns, Sahib took a walk around and observed the area as it was now under the control of EURM forces, shown by rebel soldiers conducting foot and vehicle patrols while the civilians went on with thier normal lives.

_Fascinating. _Sahib could only admire how much the EURM is willing to go and depose their president from power. _Despite the presence of armed soldiers, the people have really decided to move on instead of openly revolting against them._

The Libyan anti-ZAFT guerilla smirked to himself, wondering what adventures could await him in the Equatorial Union.

_At least there's something that I can do once I land in the Equatorial Union tomorrow._

* * *

Courtyard, EUA Pasir Ris, Singapore, Equatorial Union

Yuki, standing near the courtyard of the camp, was busy reporting their situation from EUA Pasir Ris as they had recently arrived in the area.

**"This is Yuki Omura, reporting live from EUA Pasir Ris in Singapore as part of Yuki 360. It is currently Day 4 and behind me," **She pointed out to some Linear Artillery vehicles in the camp with their howitzer barrels raised in the air. **"are Linear Artillery vehicles that have been silent a while ago after firing shells at government positions at the North Region of Singapore as the remaining loyalist position with 90 percent of the country under EURM control. An hour ago, a rebel squadron of F-7D Spearhead jets flew over civilian towns and cities located at the North Region and had dropped leaflets, pleading to civilians to immediately leave the area before EURM forces are to head over to the region and wrest control away from the government."**

* * *

Shooting Range, EUA Pasir Ris, Singapore, Equatorial Union

In another area of the courtyard, Rick was busy training with some of his NSF Guard comrades in shooting their ST Kinetics SAR-24 assault rifles at paper targets yards after from Yuki and her cameramen in order to prepare for more EURM operations in the coming days. Clad in their Equatorial Union army camouflage uniforms and their red berets, they began their training by shooting at their simulated enemies standing up, crouching and getting prone on the ground. Their drills had consisted of shooting with 2 30-round magazines each. Each time the small arms instructor yelled a halt, all of the NSF Guardsmen activated the safeties of their rifles, pointed their barrels down on the ground and reloaded their weapons.

"Hey, Rick." said Clark, reloading his rifle. "What do you think about the so-called volunteers coming in by tomorrow?" After the capture of EUA Pasir Ris, Major Bauer had personally decided to sent the rest of Rick's fellow NSF comrades after they lead the EURM in capturing various government buildings in Singapore, including the DMI building seized by both regular and NSF Guardsmen without much of a fight as the elite tactics used by the Guards in both infantry and mobile suit combat have netted them a big capture of the facility with much assistance from renegade DMT agents, providing technical advise after being able to evade capture.

"To be honest with you, Clark." Rick grabbed a fresh 30-round magazine from his vest. "I really don't know. I mean, they could be of much help."

"I'd agree there." Alec had finished reloading his rifle and chambered a single round on the SAR-24. "But they could make the difference of helping us win or lose this war."

"Aren't they suppose to come here as most of them are going to be assembled in EUA Pasir Ris." asked Mark, also already done loading his SAR-24.

"That's right, mate." Jamie was busy removing his SAR-24's used magazine while searching for a fresh mate. "In fact, heard rumors that most of them are coming in from Orb, the PLANTs and the other non-OMNI nations."

"Which means," Jouji chambered a single round on his SAR-24, listening in on his comrades. "that OMNI is definitely going to aid the government until they see that the situation is hopeless."

Miguel nodded at Jouji's words. "If we have to do that, we need to pound the government and any OMNI forces present hard and fast." He then smirked. "Come on, we're the elite Guardsmen after all."

Rick smiled, knowing that his comrades are already eager to back him. "Thanks guys."

"Guardsmen! To your positions!" yelled the small arms instructor, signalling them to start another round of shooting practice.

"By the way, Rick." Hamid was walking with him back to the makeshift shooting rifle, unslinging his SAR-24 rifle from his left shoulder. "What's your opinion on the volunteers?"

"You mean by the mercenaries?" Seeing Hamid nod at him, Rick replied to his query.

"If I can only tell ya." Rick smirked before raising his SAR-24 on his left shoulder and crouching on the ground with the other NSF Guardsmen, ready to go for another round of firing practice.

"Big Boss would be proud of us all!"

* * *

OMNI (Oppose Militancy and Neutralize Invasion) Enforcer Contingent Camp, Pahang, Malaysia, Equatorial Union

A day after the mysterious Neo Roanoke had arrived in the OMNI Contingent Camp that he and his Phantom Pain unit had established after President Copeland had accepted the request of President Chua to assist him in quashing the rebellion, the masked officer began to check on the intelligence gathered by his subordinates regarding anything about the EURM.

Inside the camp, all OMNI personnel were busy preparing their weapons and equipment for a possible operation against the EURM, their first after giving assistance to the loyalist Equatorial Union military forces as military advisors. OMNI mobile suits and aircrafts were strictly being maintained and armed in case of an eventual attack on their camp.

Neo, still donning his distinctive black uniform and gray mask, was seen entering the command center tent in the middle of the contingent camp, apparently at the behest of his subordinate.

* * *

Command Center, OMNI Enforcer Contingent Camp, Pahang, Malaysia, Equatorial Union

"Greetings, sir." Ian Lee, an OMNI officer with the rank of Lieutenant Commander, saluted Neo upon his entry into the tent. Neo had the advantage since he had the rank of Captain in the OMNI forces. "I'm glad that you made it."

"I got here as soon as I could, Commander." Neo saluted back, walking to the long table that was inside the center of the tent. "Is there something that you found out about the EURM?"

"I think so, Captain." Ian pointed to some locations on a map of Singapore with his right index finger. "Here, here, here and here are the following recent strikes that the EURM had been successful, according to our Intelligence Corp liaison officers attached to the DMI." Following the creation of the Atlantic Federation, it had retained some intelligence agencies mainly from North America, Britain and Ireland while the others were dissolved. While the CIA existed as the nation's external agency, the IC was the OMNI's intelligence branch for its army with MI:5 as the federation's internal security service. With their existence, the Atlantic Federation was one of the only few nations to retain the service of these and other intelligence agencies instead of creating new ones.

"Has the CIA been able to tell anything about this Rick Chung?" asked Neo, scratching his chin with his gloved left hand.

"I did receive a CIA report a while ago." Ian replied. "He seems to be the acting force for the EURM, though a man named Major Bauer is one of the rebel's key leaders."

"Heard about him." Neo grinned at Ian. "Fought well during the blockade incident before immigrating to the Union. He's very smart, not easily fooled. I was informed that Mr. Chung is a master strategist too, so we better be careful."

"Of course, Captain." nodded Ian. "However, the DMI has informed our Intelligence Corps. liasons that an EURM attack may be coming soon. Especially with the news that mercenaries are going to fight on their side."

"You're right, Ian." Neo agreed with Ian's assessments. "The situation may be worse." He then directed his gaze on an OMNI soldier, with the rank of Crewman. "You, get me the three pilots at once."

"At once, Captain Roanoke." The guard saluted and went out of the tent.

"Are you sure that it's okay to get them involved?" questioned Ian, raising an eyebrow. "I think they're better suited if they were to stay here in Malaysia and keep guard in case the EURM would advance to the capital."

"I know what I'm doing, Ian." assured Neo, trying to tell his subordinate that he was doing the right thing. "Besides, they may need some combat experience later on when we face the EURM in the near future."

Three teenagers were now inside the tent, all lined up and standing in attention. A 17-year old male teenager with gray hair was standing with his hands on his side with another 17-year old male teenager, who had black skin, black hair and yellow glasses on. Beside him was a 16-year old girl who had short black hair and yellow skin. While the two were wearing standing OMNI blue jacket and black pants, the girl was only clad in a pink jacket that showed her belly, with her bra sticking out a bit. She only had a black miniskirt on with high heel boots.

"Lieutenant Junior Grade Shams Coza with 2nd Lieutenant Mudie Holcroft and Sven Cal Bayan reporting for duty, Captain Neo Roanoke." acknowledged the gray-haired teen, saluting the masked Captain. Likewise, Shams and Mudie followed Sven and saluted their superior officer.

"At ease. I'm glad to see you all three as ordered." Neo, with Ian, saluted the three teenagers. "You'll be involved in some heavy fighting soon against the EURM soon. Details will be provided very soon."

"Understood, Captain." acknowledged Shams. "Are we to move out?"

"Not yet for now." answered Ian, shaking his head. "For now, you three are to still remain on standby for any orders to move out. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir." The three teens saluted to Ian and Neo before excusing themselves to leave the tent.

* * *

Barracks, EUA Pasir Ris, Singapore, Equatorial Union

"Any word on the mercenaries yet?"

Tim was on a room with 3 double decker beds. Luis was lying on his bed too for a nap, while Hamid and Davan went out to spend time playing basketball with the other renegade soldiers. Like their fellow NSF comrades, they too have either went to their quarters in the barracks of the newly captured EUA Pasir Ris or simply did their own thing.

"Don't know." Rick was lying on his top bunk, reading Romance of the Three Kingdoms. "They should be coming by tomorrow, according to the best of our sources in the DMI and the NIB."

"Anyway," Tim asked Rick. "do you know if the Martians are going to fight as mercs too?"

"Don't know." Rick shrugged his shoulders, still reading his novel. "Martian government's pretty strict about being neutral. Not sure if they'll apply that to their own nationals." Most of the people in both Earth and in the PLANTs know that the Mars government was neutral in wars between OMNI and ZAFT, though some of their citizens had attempted to volunteer to fight on behalf of the PLANTs and the ZAFT. Problem was that Mars has tried everything in their legal power to bar them from doing so.

"Bummer." Tim yawned, a bit bored. With the door opened, Rick eyed Matt and Rachel walking inside.

"Hey guys." greeted Matt, giving them a casual salute.

"Yo! 'Sup, Matt?" Rick halted his reading and sat on his bunk, eyeing Matt and Rachel.

"Nothing much." Rachel lightly shook her head. "But we do have some news for you."

"Really?" Tim grinned. "What's the news have to do with good old Rick himself today, Rachel?"

"In case you don't know." Rachel fixed her glasses. "Which I think you don't, Major Bauer made another transmission."

"And?"

"He's coming here tomorrow." Matt ran his hand on his hair. "He's going to see the mercenary volunteers for himself." Matt went silent before snapping his fingers, remembering something. "Almost forgot, Rick. The Major had a little request from him to you."

Rick was a bit confused, "And that request is?"

Matt hesitated a bit before he grinned at him.

"He wants to you to liaise with the mercenary volunteers."

Rick groaned. "This is not my day."

"On the plus side." insisted Matt, trying to assure Rick of his situation. "We're having reporters coming in from outside the Union."

"Just what we need." Rick scratched the rear of his head. "More publicity that we have. We already have an embedded reporter from the Orb News Channel for that."

* * *

Mobile Suit Bay, OMNI Enforcer Contingent Camp, Pahang, Malaysia, Equatorial Union

"So what happens now?" asked Shams, cleaning his glasses while the three Phantom Pain soldiers hanged out near some black-painted mobile suits. They were inside a makeshift mobile suit hangar bay covered with giant green tarps that served as tents.

"We're on standby now." sighed Sven, running his hand on his gray hair. "Nothing we can do until we can get the go from Captain Neo or Lt. Cmdr. Ian themselves."

"Interesting though." Mudie tapped her chin playfully, staring at her two Phantom Pain comrades. "I heard that the de facto leader of the EURM happens to be a spacenoid."

"You mean a Coordinator?" Sven raised his eyebrow. The Phantom Pain trooper wasn't sure what Mudie was talking about, even though the three of them have a distinct hatred for Coordinators as part of their training when they were indoctrinated in the Atlantic Federation military as children.

"Yup." Mudie suddenly broke into a smile that made Sven and Shams sweat a bit. "Even though that Rick Chung is a spacenoid, I have to admit myself that he's quite cute to boot."

"Rick Chung eh?" Shams rubbed his chin with his left hand, smirking at the other two. "Heard he's quite the pilot. In that case, we better be careful with him around."

"Doesn't matter." Sven huffed. "Our orders are to eliminate the EURM and do away with them. End of story."

"I don't know, Sven." advised Shams, not addressing him by rank, but by name instead as the three were not on duty for now. "Heard some chatter from government troops that the prototype mobile suits that the EURM used had some good pilots with them. In fact, some of the loyalist forces called those NSF prototype mobile suit pilots _Great Fighters _since they were able to handle them in a matter of minutes when they tried to ambush them at the Amoy Quee Camp base in Singapore."

"Only he could have done it." suggested Mudie. "After all, CIA records provided to us by Captain Neo did show that he was on top of his NSF group during Equatorial Union Guards training, not to mention that he was an honor student back in his high school days."

"And a Coordinator." added Sven, gritting his teeth a bit on the thought of fighting one. "Only a Coordinator like Rick Chung could have done such a thing like that."

"Guess you're right about that." sighed Mudie. "Isn't that right, Shams?"

"You know me." insisted Shams. "We're Phantom Pain. We can show those EURM rebels on who's the boss in mobile suit combat. Not to mention that we'll give them a hard run for their money."

"You'll see, Mudie." Sven glared at her and Shams for a bit before facing the black mobile suits that were behind him.

"I'll show those Coordinator scums and the rest of the rebels that they're making a mistake when they choose to mess with Phantom Pain."

"Right." Mudie grinned. "After all. The only good Coordinator is a dead Coordinator."

Chapter 8 END

PS - Been overdue now. Had planned to do it after my vacation back from California, but got really bloody involved with the CBSA in Vancouver International due to a conflict about the watches that me and my family wore on our way out of the airport. Situation was really bad to a point that my mom was almost had nervous problems when the legal aid that they called for her told her that she may have to go to an RCMP station (Don't worry, a Sikh officer said the RCMP wasn't involved). Damn bastards! Old man was almost ticked off when one of the CBSA officer asked if he was a sexist when he asked if he could talk to the lawyer on my mom's behalf.

If I got ticked off that much, I would have sliced the guy's neck. Glad that I'm not a knife afficionado or else...

Things were okay, but my mom's watch was confiscated by them. That's all I could say for now. Oh well, I should update this story in a matter of days as my workload from school is a bit short with not much work to do.

As for the reason why Natarle is still in skin and bones, I'm merely using Solid Shark's BOAF as a basis. Tried to get Falcon in, but can't for pairing reasons. 'Nuff said, mate.

Also, did anyone catch the Metal Gear 2 reference in here?


	9. The Mercenaries, Part 1

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED/Kidou Senshi Gundam SEED: Rebellion

By: Ominae

Rating: T

NOTE:

Concept of the Gundam SEED series are under the copyright of Mitsuo Fukuda, Bandai and Sunrise. Cameo appearances of characters from Mobile Suit Gundam: Lost War Chronicles are under the copyright of Bandai Games, Masato Natsumoto and Tomohiro Chiba. Cameo appearance of Sophia DiFalco and other elements of Birds of a Feather are a courtesy from Solid Shark. All other characters and technology (weapons, vehicles) are under my jurisdiction, with some exceptions.

Summary:

With the OMNI contingent in Malaysia preparing for an eventual confrontation with EURM forces, mercenaries from various countries are slowly arriving at the Equatorial Union, still under civil war. Meanwhile, Sven Cal Bayan and his Phantom Pain comrades are being prepped up to be mobilized to join with loyalist Equatorial Union military forces and prevent the EURM from overthrowing the country's pro-OMNI president. Can the EURM make progress against their leaders, even with the added presence of an OMNI contingent? Can the upcoming mercenary volunteers assist the EURM in achieving their objectives? Stay tune to this chapter to find out.

Chapter 9: The Mercenaries, Part 1

Living Room, Andrew Waltfeld's Residence, Somewhere in the Orb Union

Now watching TV at Andy's house since he was away, Murrue stayed in the living room for updates with Kira and Lacus.

**"This is Yuki Omura reporting live from EUA Pasir Ris for Yuki 360. Day 6 is about to start here in the current civil war in the Equatorial Union as reports from local media have stated the arrival of some mercenary volunteers in the EURM-held Luzon Island in the Philippines, due to arrive at the EUAF Clark base in a matter of hours. I've just received confirmation that more volunteers are on the way in the next day. Of course, this recent news revelation has Presidents Chua and Copeland worried on whether the Equatorial Union government can quash the rebellion as more and more people have expressed their support to the rebel forces."  
**

"That sure is a big change in the civil war." Kira noted, eyeing the TV screen. Lacus was beside him, holding his hand.

"I must admit," Murrue sighed. "Rick sure is making progress with his propaganda speeches. I can't help, but worry about him."

"That is true." admitted Lacus. "From what Kira had told me yesterday, he's using the situation in the civil war and the OMNI occupation of Orb to make their case."

Two knocks were heard at the door.

"I'll get it." Murrue stood up from the sofa, leaving the two teenagers alone. When she got to the door, she was a bit shocked to see who it was.

"Flay Allster?" murmured Murrue.

"Hello, Ms. Ramius." greeted Flay. Wearing her pink dress from her Heliopolis days, she shuffled her feet on the ground.

"Do you want to come in?" Flay nodded, entering Andrew's house. Murrue gently shut the door and told Kira and Lacus about Flay's presence.

"Flay..." trailed Kira, not finding the right words to say to the redhead.

"It's okay, Kira." Flay bit her lip. "I already forgave you for what happened during the Heliopolis attack. So you don't need to blame yourself."

"Thank you." Kira nodded, swallowing his saliva.

"Is it about him?" Flay took a seat on the sofa chair after Murrue went back to her own seat.

"Yes." answered the former OMNI officer. "But why are you here? Aren't you suppose to be back in the dorms?" It was not a surprise; Flay decided to resume her studies in Orb after the end of the Second Bloody Valentine War. Though that most of her relatives were based in the Atlantic Federation, some of her family's friends were glad enough to help the young girl get back to college life and enrolled at the University of Onogoro, under its political science course.

"I don't have classes. All my teachers are sick or have had their class time cut short." answered the girl.

"Hello Flay." smiled Lacus. "I hope you're doing well."

"I'm fine." Flay forced a smile. Even though she had some problems with Lacus, she was amazed that Lacus wanted to be friends with her. After the end of the war, Flay took some time to reflect while enrolling at the University of Onogoro and realized that making friends with her was not bad at all.

"Don't force yourself." Flay noted that Lacus was able to notice about the girl's smile.

"Sorry." murmured Flay, paying attention to the news. "I just, I just can't believe that we're friends and yet, I still can't forgive myself for the way I treated you."

"I understand." assured Lacus, looking at her. "You still can't get over the time you used me to get ZAFT forces to stop attacking the ship I was on. I already forgave you for that."

"Thank you." Flay then have a genuine smile on her face, which was returned by Lacus who did the same as well.

Kira looked at the two and smiled himself; one had been his former first love and the other his current love. He was glad that it was over.

"Hey guys." Murrue directed their attention towards the television. "Better look at this."

"What is it?" asked Kira.

"They announced that the documentary on your cousin will be shown tonight." Kira snapped his finger, remembering that it was the day that they would show it.

"Oh yeah." said Kira. "The announcement back then a few days ago."

* * *

Lounge, EUAF Clark Air Base, Angeles, Pampanga, Philippines, Equatorial Union

Inside the lounging area of the EURM-held EUAF Clark Air Base, various personalities were lounging in a designated waiting area for volunteers who were planning to head to the Equatorial Union and fight for the EURM forces.

"I'm so bored." groaned Sophia, seated on one of the many couches with Andrew, Athrun, Cagalli and the others who arrived from Orb.

"I know how it feels." Edward looked around at the crowd, Natural and Coordinator, waiting for their next flight out of Clark. "Reminds me of being sent to the principal's office for being late."

"Heh." Barry simply grinned at the former OMNI ace pilot.

"By the way," asked Athrun, wearing his red shades as part of his Alex Dino legend. "Does anyone know on the mobile suit that the volunteers would use?"

"If I remember right," Jean was quick enough to answer his question. "most of us are either bringing own mobile suits by either covert or overt means. The other way is that the EURM would provide the mobile suits for us."

"That would be logical enough." said Kisaka, donning his Desert Dawn disguise with his red bandanna and messy hair.

"Kisaka..." Cagalli stared at her bodyguard. "do you have to look like that?" She was referring to his disguise.

"Please forgive me." Kisaka apologized. "But my bandanna and my long hair are necessary as part of my disguise so as no one would recognize me.

"Never mind." Cagalli huffed, drinking a can of Royal True Orange soda from the nearby vending machine after getting Jean to help her a while ago.

"It looks like that the volunteers are more than just us." commented Sai, pushing his glasses up by pushing its bridge. "Look. Most of them are either ZAFT or ex-ZAFT personnel."

"You're right." said Martin. "I notice some of them were my comrades from my military academy days. I met some of them after they enlisted at the local recruitment stations." He then turned to whisper to Andrew. "Are they here to be mercenary volunteers too?"

"I guess so." The ex-ZAFT officer stared at them with his right eye as his left eye was permanently damaged during his skirmish with Kira back before the war ended. "I even caught a glance of Arthur with the ZAFT crowd."

"You mean Arthur Trine?" murmured Martin, not believing what he was hearing. "He's with Talia Gladys, supposed captain of the upcoming Minerva class ship Minerva."

"I see." Andrew grinned on hearing the new information. "I just can't wait to see how Ms. Gladys and Mr. Trine would do as mercenary volunteers."

Dearka, seated beside Miriallia, wondered if his old comrades would spot him since he was only in Orb for a few months vacation after visiting the survivors a few times.

_Hope Yzak doesn't spot me until later._

* * *

"Arthur." Talia called out to the British officer, wearing only a tennis shirt and brown pants, who had just exited the men's washroom. She had been bored with waiting for their shuttle to be finished since all aircraft chartering the volunteers were asked to leave in order for the plans to be serviced.

"Yes, Ms. Gladys?" asked Arthur, who took a seat on the couch beside her.

"Anything happening so far?" asked the ZAFT commander. "I mean, it's only been an hour so far and I was wondering if you have anything that could be related to the number of volunteers arriving from the various Earth nations."

"Nothing yet." answered Arthur. "But I do know that none so far are from the Earth Alliance."

"They're probably going to work for the loyalist forces." replied Talia. Arthur observed that she wore only a yellow blouse and blue jeans. "Although I did hear rumors that one of the supposed volunteers is currently working for the DSSD after serving a stint with OMNI."

"Do you think that would be a threat to ZAFT and ex-ZAFT personnel who were going to serve as mercenary volunteers?"

"I don't think so, Arthur." Talia shook her hand. "I just don't think so."

* * *

"Hey, Heine." said Riika, wearing her normal glasses with a red blouse and jeans.

"Yes?" asked the FAITH operative, blending with the other ZAFT and ex-ZAFT personnel in civilian clothes. He wore a black shirt and jeans.

"Did you spot anyone familiar from the crowd?" asked the blind ZAFT Red.

"Come to think of it," Heine thought about the girl's question. "I thought I saw some students from the academy. Not to mention Shiho and Yzak."

"You mean Shiho Hahnenfuss?" Heine quickly nodded at her. "Wow. If she's here, then Commander Joule must be here too."

"You better not call him that when he's around for now." The German FAITH agent grinned at her. "He still needs some time to get used to it."

* * *

"Shiho." Yzak called out for his colleague while he straightened the sleeves of his business shirt, staring at the crowds of people who were inside the lounge after walking back and forth. "Stop walking. It irritates me."

"Sorry." apologized Shiho, fixing her tennis shirt. "But there's really nothing much to do around here."

"Been bored already?"

Yzak trailed his ears to find out who was speaking to him. When he did, he didn't like the visitor's appearance for one bit.

"Mikhail Coast." sneered Yzak, gritting his teeth.

"I'm surprised tha you know me." grinned the gray-haired man.

"Why shouldn't we?" answered Shiho, glaring at him. "A lot of people from OMNI and ZAFT are really scared to work and fight against with you."

"Must be my scary personality." insisted Mikhail, defending his reputation and name while having a smile. Somehow, Yzak and Shiho didn't like it one bit.

"This ain't funny, Coast!" Yzak said, nearly shouting, which would have brought unnecessary attention to him. Luckily, most of the people inside the lounge were either too busy or too ignorant to notice the shouting.

* * *

"So here we are." murmured Canard, noticing that most of the people inside the designated lounge were either from the PLANTs and from Orb. Only a few were from the other neutral and pro-ZAFT nations.

"You're right about that, Canard." said Lowe, scratching his head under his blue bandanna. "Hey 8, what you think are the chances that we'll see a mercenary volunteer from OMNI?"

**"The chances of seeing someone from OMNI are nil. As you may recall, OMNI has declared their support to the loyalist government."**

"Guess that answers your question, Lowe." said Kisato, seeing 8's reply on the computer screen.

"But that won't stop someone from OMNI who thinks that the EURM have a right cause." suggested Kazahana, beside her mother Loretta, who smiled at her daughter.

"She's right." Liam agreed with Kazahana's assessment of their current situation.

"Excuse me, folks."

Everyone turned their attention to a man with patches of black, blue and yellow hair. He wore his red jacket and had his motorbike goggles hanging on his neck. His green tank top shirt and suspenders was seen from his partialy unzipped jacket with blue pants and red boots.

"Well, it looks like Jess the Rabble's here to join our party." grinned Reed. Elijah too grinned at the freelance journalist.

"Whatever." scoffed Jess, pretending that he didn't hear Reed's comments.

"Why are you here?" asked Loretta, a bit curious. "Are you here on assignment?"

"Yup." replied Jess. "A man named Matias Aducarf told me to come to the Equatorial Union and report on the civil war from the perspective of the rebel forces."

"Nice to see you again." Gai offered his hand out to shake with him. "And again, I apologize for detaining you back in GENESIS Alpha a few weeks ago."

"No offense, Gai." insisted Jess, shaking hands with the ex-Combat Coordinator soldier. "I guess I better find a way to control myself since I don't think carefully when I'm in a potentially dangerous situation."

"Hey Jess." greeted Lowe. "Are you here to cover the events here?"

"Yep." grinned the reporter. "I'm glad to see you too, Lowe. But I thought you're heading off to Mars."

"Maybe when the civil war here's over." replied Lowe. "Besides, this is something that I personally want to do since I heard rumors that Blue Cosmos operatives were sighted in the country."

"Sounds like a noble thing to do, Lowe." He and Lowe gave each other high fives.

"How long are you going to be here, Jess?" Kazahana asked the reporter.

"I have to leave before the end of October." answered Jess. "I have to cover the events in South America."

"If I'm right," suggested Yoon. "that would be the South American War of Independence against OMNI forces stationed there."

"Is Matias hiring you for that too?" questioned Prayer, standing beside Lowe.

"That's right." Jess nodded. "Heard a man named Kaite Madigan's suppose to be with me, but I don't know if he's here or what."

"Kaite Madigan?" Canard went into deep thought after hearing the name."Where have I heard that name before?"

* * *

"Nice crowd huh, Edmund?" grinned the blonde mercenary, flicking his ponytail behind him while checking his business shirt and necktie.

"You know, Kaite." Edmund eyed Kaite carefully. "For a supposed freelancer like you, I keep wondering if you bought that shirt and necktie of yours by simply accepting contracts."

"That I do, my good man." grinned Kaite. Edmund frowned at him. "But right now, I have another side mission coming up."

Edmund raised an eyebrow, "And that is?"

"To South America." Kaite snapped his fingers. "I have to bodyguard someone aside from a reporter named Bernadette Leroux. Think his name was Jess Rabble."

"Rabble, eh?" asked Edmund, seeing Kaite nod at him in reply.

* * *

"What do you make of all this?"

A small group consisting of two men and one woman wore civilian clothes while blending in with the crowd of ZAFT and former ZAFT personnel who had volunteered to fight for the EURM. Each of them had distinctive features to tell them apart from the others. The woman had a black eyepatch over her left eye with orange hair. The two men also had their own distinctive features as one of them had a goatee and another had eyeglasses on.

"Say Hilda." asked the man with a goatee. "What do you think about the situation?"

"I'm not sure, Herbert." replied Hilda, speaking to Herbert von Reinhardt. "A lot of people have really expressed their interests to volunteer."

"Don't know, but it kinda reminds me of the last war." said Mars Simeon, adjusting his glasses on his nose by pushing the bridge up.

"This is different." reprimanded the eyepatched woman. "Unlike the last war, this is a civil war against loyalist and renegade forces."

"Does remind me of the 1st EDSA Revolution in the Philippines back in 1989, except this civil war's going to be done with mercenary assistance."

"Yep." grinned Herbert. "Big Boss would surely envy us."

"So..." Hilda began to trial off a bit. "If I'm right, that war in that Metal Gear 2 game was called War of the Mercenaries, right?"

Herbert and Mars nodded, answering her question.

"Thought so." Hilda grinned. "I've played that game before."

* * *

Away from the main group of current and former ZAFT soldiers and technicians, a group of teenagers with civilian clothing are seen a few feet away from Talia, Hilda, Yzak and the other ZAFT personnel. The teenagers were believed to be staying away from them so as to avoid being detected since no one thought that ZAFT Military Academy would try to get involved in an ongoing civil war as freelance volunteers.

"You think they've seen us?" asked Lunamaria, hiding her face with a plain blue ballcap on her head. In addition, she had a blue blouse and jeans.

"Don't know." shrugged Shinn. Wearing a black toque, white shirt and brown pants, he too was trying to blend in the rest of the volunteers. "I did recall seeing Youlant and the other technicians back there."

"You mean they're here to fight as well?" Meyrin was standing a bit beside her sister. She too wore the same clothes as her big sister, except that she had a black ballcap that had the seal of ZAFT with a red blouse instead of blue.

Rey offered to answer the young girl's concerns. "Possibly as non-combat mercenaries. I did recall that some who volunteered from the ranks of ZAFT were told that they were volunteering for non-combat positions, mostly as maintenance people." The blonde man had a red ballcap, a white shirt like Shinn's and light brown pants.

"That figures." Shinn said, understanding what Rey had said.

"I hope so." murmured Lunamaria.

"You know." whispered Rey. "This reminds of that video game made by Hideo Kojima where a war was fought with mercenaries."

"I think I heard of that." Meyrin said, knowing what Rey was talking about. "I heard that was for the MSX2 computer and it came out in the Playstation 2 as a bundle in the Metal Gear Solid 3 Subsistence game."

"You mean Metal Gear 2?" asked Shinn. Rey nodded at him. "I played that game before on my cellphone and it was cool. Although it was years ago..."

"All we need now is someone who we can call Big Boss." murmured Rey, scratching the back of his head. Shinn just looked at the blonde teen, confused.

* * *

Sahib Ashman, wearing a ballcap to conceal his identity with his vest, green military pants and black boots, waited for Conil to return from the base's cafeteria as she was a bit hungry from the ferry trip to India before boarding a plane to Australia and moving to a transit flight to EUAF Clark.

_I never expected this turnout of Natural and Coordinator volunteers to be so high. If I'm right, and I hope I'm right, most of them are from the PLANTs, various neutral nations and ex-OMNI personnel. Nobody currently in the Earth Forces would try and go to be mercenary volunteers for the EURM._

"Hey Sahib."

Startled by the voice, the bearded man faced Conil. She wore a shirt and jeans on with her hair made in a ponytail.

"Oh," began Sahib, noticing that his companion was back. "you're back already."

"Yes." frowned Conil. "I just ate. And I was about to bring you some food when I decided to check on you and I see you dozing off."

"Sorry abou that." Sahib said, scratching his neck. "I was trying to remember something."

"Remember something?" Conil didn't understand what he meant by that.

"Never mind." Sahib waved off what he said. "It's not important anyway."

* * *

A man with Japanese features was minding his own business seated down on an empty sofa chair on the EUAF Clark's spacious lounge provided for them while their planes were being serviced for another flight to Singapore.

"Excellent." grinned the man, watching the technicians outside begin making their final preparations to check on the shuttle used to bring ZAFT personnel and former ZAFT members into the Philippines. He heard rumors that rebel F-7D Spearheads would escort them to Changi Airport as the last stop since the government has firm control on most of its waters in the island areas of Southeast Asia.

_Since OMNI forces are in the region, it would be a good show to avenge our defeat back near the homeland. _The man grinned further, excited to shed some blood.

_Doesn't matter if I have to do my part as a mercenary or not. I'll just keep fighting until the Earth Forces concede defeat._

"Hey, Sato."

Staring at the face of the one who called him, the scarred man smirked at the man who had addressed him.

"It's you Gary."

"It's almost time, Sato." said Gary, ruffling his brown hair.. "We're about to leave for Singapore."

"Finally." Sato cracked his knuckles. "At last the time has come."

"Indeed, Sato." Gary said, agreeing with Sato's comments and had an evil smile on his face. "At last we will have our revenge."

Sato returned the gesture by evilly smiling at Gary.

* * *

"Excuse me! Can I have your attention please?"

An EURM trooper, apparently a regular in the Equatorial Union army, had his ST Kinetics SAR-24 rifle slinged on his shoulder while he had his ballistic helmet on. As standard to tell rebels from loyalist forces, he had his red armband on his left arm.

"Your transports are ready for another takeoff to Changi Airport. Please head back to your respective aircrafts at once."

At his words, all the waiting mercenary volunteers went back to their respective aircrafts to takeoff to Singapore, their final destination.

* * *

Living Room, Sahaku Mansion, Somewhere in the Orb Union

A woman in her middle '20s was sitting in her living room, reading the Orb Inquirer for the latest news regarding the civil war raging on in the Equatorial Union.

_Interesting. Rick Chung is the symbol of the rebellion eh? Quite interesting. You know, Gold Frame has already been updated and I don't mind testing it on the loyalist forces._

"Four!" The woman snapped her fingers, waiting for someone to arrive.

"Yes, Miss Sahaku?" A man in his early '20s stood in attention with two more identical persons with the same face and emotionless appearance after being summoned. All were dressed in the standard Orb Army uniform.

"Help me prepare my things." commanded the heir of the Sahaku family. "I'm heading to Singapore in the Equatorial Union."

"Of course, Ms. Sahaku." Four and his other Socius clones bowed down to excuse themselves before leaving the room.

"Lady Sahaku." The butler had entered the room after letting the Socius clones leave. "I must insist! You're one of the remaining people left in the Sahaku family. There's no need for you to participate in the Equatorial Union civil war."

"Do not worry about me. I'm quite experienced in taking care of myself."

"But Lady Sahaku..." trailed the butler, insisting on his position.

"Please." smirked Mina in her couch. "Gold Frame has been upgraded already by the fine people of Morgenroete. That alone should be enough for me to survive."

Without anything else to say, the butler had decided to leave Mina alone in the living room, going back to his duties.

_Besides. _Mina gave an evil smile. _It'd be a good chance to "repay" OMNI for what they've done for me and brother._

* * *

Somewhere in Mars

A blonde teen was on the streets of Mars, readings the Mars Standard regarding the conflict in the Equatorial Union.

_Quite interesting. _smirked Nahe Herschel, a 17-year old Coordinator living in Mars away from the fighting between OMNI and ZAFT forces. Despite this fact, some Coordinators living in the red planet have the urge to assist the PLANTs in defending them from OMNI forces. In fact, there were rumors that some Martians, both Coordinators and Naturals were either already in Earth or on their way to Earth.

"Ah, a payphone." Heading towards the phone booth, he lifted the receiver and dialed a series of numbers, waiting for the caller to answer.

**"Hello."**

**"Hey, girly man!" **grinned Nahe, waiting for the caller to respond.

**"Dammit, Nahe!" **shouted the caller. **"Did you call me just to make fun of me?"**

**"Cool it, Agnes." **chuckled Nahe. The blonde wasn't surprised since Agnes Brahe's first name was a girl's name, which would be typical of anyone to assume the person to be a female. So far, many had been tricked and have assumed Agnes to be a female, until the latter gets mad about it. **"Listen. Got some news on the Standard that some of the people from Mars are heading to Earth and assist the EURM as mercenaries."**

**"Interesting, Nahe. Diego might love that part though."**

**"Don't think so, Agnes. Last time I checked, he's in the hospital after getting his leg in an accident."**

**"Oh right. So what now."**

Nahe grinned while he read the Mars Standard again. **"What say you and I head to Earth right now and assist the rebels?"  
**

Chapter 9 END

PS - Thanks to Solid Shark for finding the MG2 reference. Another MG2 reference is here, aside from Big Boss. See if you guys can spot it. Also, have a Star Wars Episode 1: Phantom Menace reference in here too.


	10. The Mercenaries, Part 2

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED/Kidou Senshi Gundam SEED: Rebellion

By: Ominae

Rating: T

NOTE:

Concept of the Gundam SEED series are under the copyright of Mitsuo Fukuda, Bandai and Sunrise. Cameo appearances of characters from Mobile Suit Gundam: Lost War Chronicles are under the copyright of Bandai Games, Masato Natsumoto and Tomohiro Chiba. Cameo appearance of Sophia DiFalco and other elements of Birds of a Feather are a courtesy from Solid Shark. All other characters and technology (weapons, vehicles) are under my jurisdiction, with some exceptions.

Summary:

With the mercenaries heading out to Singapore, the Equatorial Union has been dealing with OMNI forces in assisting loyalist forces to quash the coup in Southeast Asia before the rebels invade Malaysia, the capital of the Union. As time progressed, more secret personalities have decided to sign up as mercenary for the EURM. Will their additional presence make a difference in the civil war? Will the OMNI contingent in Malaysia be able to turn the tables against them? Stay tune to this chapter to find out.

Chapter 10: The Mercenaries, Part 2

Command Center, EUA Pasir Ris, Singapore, Equatorial Union

Inside the command center, Matt Healy was with Rachel, Noel and Rick in analyzing their current situation in regards to their current position in Singapore, as well as with other hot spots in the Equatorial Union.

"According to reports from Major Bauer," began Rachel, scanning the digitized map of the Equatorial Union, Lieutenant Colonel Mishima and the Kargil are currently engaging loyalist navy vessels in the Andaman Sea, near Myanmar and Thailand."

"Say Rachel." asked Rick, curiously looking at Myanmar and Thailand. "Aren't those the locations where loyalist soldiers are facing against 2 platoons of recently defected Marines?"

"Yea." Matt scratched his head. "Also, our forces back in the Philippines are staging an assault on the Visayas region. Intel also gave me reports of infightings in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and East Timor."

"That seems great." Rick sighed. "I guess."

"In addition to that," Rachel interrupted. "the mercenary volunteers are due to arrive here later in the morning. They already landed at Changi Airport and were given quarters at the airport and at EUN Changi Naval Base."

"Are they going to be provided with armed escorts?"

"The Guards will. In fact, Major Bauer recommended that you're going to assist in getting the Guard battalions to escort the volunteers all the way to EUA Pasir Ris."

"Careful though, Rick." warned Matt. "Our intel sources have said that more volunteers may intend to come here as non-combat personnel. Just keep an eye on that."

"Right." Rick nodded.

* * *

Conference Room, Department of Defense Building, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Equatorial Union

"What's the urgency that you have to see me in such a short notice, Captain Roanoke?"

Neo, after telling Ian to request a meeting with Secretary Yusof, flew back to Kuala Lumpur to see the Defense Secretary for a special meeting, without divulging the details.

"You see, Mr. Secretary." began Neo, who was seated next to him. "The CIA has reported that an increase of freelancers were sighted in EURM-occupied Singapore. Now, I've relayed this back to my superiors and they've recommended three ace pilots to assist in the upcoming battle agaisnt the rebels."

"Are they here?" Anwar raised an eyebrow, wanting to know if Neo was speaking the truth or a lie.

"Of course." chuckled Neo. "Allow me to introduce them to you."

A blonde woman emerged from the shadows of the conference room, since the lights above the two men were only lit. "Mr. Secretary, allow me to introduce Jane Houston."

"Also known as the White Whale." Anwar added. "I've heard about you, Ms. Houston. ZAFT seems to be very afraid of your skills in the water."

"They should be." grinned the blonde.

"But aren't you the girlfriend of Edward Harrelson?" When Jane nodded, the secretary continued. "We have intelligence reports that he had declared allegiance to the EURM."

_Edward... _Jane sighed, not wanting to hear that piece of information from the secretary of defense.

"Next is Rena Imelia." A woman with black hair tied as a ponytail came from the shadows as well, standing next to Jane.

"The Sakura Burst." Anwar nodded to Neo. "I've heard that you have great eye and hand coordination that you could be a Coordinator yourself."

"Of course not, Mr. Secretary." corrected Rena, smiling at him.

"You're called the Sakura Burst because of your burn mark, right? Rena nodded. "What happened to you before you got it?"

Rena shook her head, "I don't want to talk about it. Too personal."

Anwar waved her off. "That's quite all right."

Suddenly, some puffs of white smoke began to appear from the dark part of the conference room. The two men and two women heard the sound of a lighter being lit before someone puffed out in the dark. The smoke had clearly irritated Anwar, making him frown.

"Can you please not smoke in this room?" snarled the secretary angrily. "We have a policy of no smoking in this building!"

A man with blonde hair and white stripes on the sides of his head showed himself, smoking a Cuban-made cigar in his mouth.

"Sorry about that." grinned the man. "Can't seem to get rid of the habit."

Neo sighed, feeling a bit embarrassed. "Morgan Chevalier. Known as the Mad Dog of the Moonlight."

"Quite an interesting nickname, Mr. Chevalier." Anwar glared at the blonde man. "And next time, you are not allowed to smoke in this room or else..."

"I understand, Mr. Yusof." Morgan raised a hand, getting his message. "I'll just smoke outside if I have to be here."

Neo, on the other hand, groaned and slapped himself for letting Morgan embarrass him further.

"Allow me to introduce you three men who would work with you on this mission." Anwar snapped his finger, revealing three men who stood behind the defense secretary in attention.

One of them had auburn hair, the other had brown hair and another had black hair. The trio were wearing their standard Equatorial Union Army Flecktarn BDUs.

"Meet Ken Bederstadt, Garsky Ayrault and Jake Clinton."

"Nice to meet you." greeted Neo. The three OMNI aces nodded at the three Equatorial Union soldiers, acknowledging their presences.

"I assure you that these men are aces." Anwar said, facing Ken. "Tell them, Ken. Explain yourselves."

"Yes, sir." answered the soldier of Swiss origin. "Garsky, Jake and I formerly served with the Eurasian Foreign Legion or the EFL. We were mobile suit pilots for a short time."

"That's right." added Garsky in support. "During our stint in the EFL, we became a bit notorious for eliminating several GINNs during the Gibraltar campaign." explained the soldier of Canadian origin.

Jake scratched his chin, "ZAFT troopers had feared us for quickly killing the GINNS and their pilots, even if they tried to surrender." expounded the soldier of New Zealander origin.

Neo looked at the three with interest, "I assume that they're also aces in testing your Primus mobile suits."

"The men have very good scores when they tested the Primus mobile suits. Though they haven't faced any enemies for a while, they are very competent in what they're doing."

"Good." Neo reclined back in his chair. "Three aces from me and you have three aces as well. That could mean a difference between victory and defeat."

"I do hope so, Captain." sighed Anwar. "I do hope so."

* * *

Driveway, Changi International Airport, Singapore, Equatorial Union

With three Toyota Coaster buses filled with volunteers, renegade police officers and regular soldiers cleared a path for them, allowing the buses and their escorts to leave.

"I take it that we're the only NSFs fighting in the war." asked Hamid, watching the renegade soldiers remove the barricades on the airport's driveway. The six of them deployed to the airport were armed with their ST Kinetics SAR-24 assault rifles slinged on their backs.

"Afraid so. Heard that the President banned all other NSFs from reporting to their respective bases after they found out we defected." Davan said, drinking soda pop that he got from a vending machine.

"Right about that, lads." Tim was sitting on one of the three Kawasaki KLR250R motorbikes, parked in front of the first parked bus, used by the Equatorial Union Guards as a standard motorbike for use in their unconventional warfare doctrine. It used diesel fuel and was painted in green, the requirements passed by the Guards after Kawasaki Motors Equatorial Union had presented it to the military. "If there were more defectors, I'd suspect that they're hiding for now, not wanting to show themselves."

"We're stuck on motorbike escort duty for now since they're aren't any reports of enemy movement."

Rick came out of the main terminal with Avir decked in their Equatorial Union Army Flecktarn uniforms.

"So what's up, guv?" chuckled the Scottish NSF conscript.

"We're going to move out now." replied Avir, answering his question. "All the volunteers are accounted for."

"What about the damn rumors that more are coming?" asked Hamid.

"Don't know." Rick shrugged his shoulders. "What's important is that we get these guys to the camp. There's no way to tell if the Para Brigade will show up."

It then hit the six NSFs hard. The 2nd Paratrooper Brigade was one of the few remaining special forces units that were loyal to the government, next to the Commando Unit, the 20th Air Force Commandos and the Light Reaction Group. These units were among the few remaining loyalist special forces while others such as the 1st Commando Brigade and the Special Strike Force had defected to the EURM after learning of the atrocities and wrongdoings committed by President Chua of the Equatorial Union.

"You're right." nodded Luis. "We better head back to base if that's the case."

"All right." Rick grabbed the motorbike helmet placed on top of his Kawasaki KLR250 motorbike. "Let's move out!"

* * *

Passenger Area, First Chartered Bus, en route to EUA Pasir Ris

Sato, seated at the rear of the chartered bus in order to not stand out from some of his ZAFT colleagues, was speaking to Gary and his other comrades.

"Sato, we've got the information needed from our informant."

"Really?" The scarred man grinned. "Has the informant arrived?"

"Yea." replied Gary. "Got here yesterday with a trip from the Eurasian Federation."

"Does he have the plans?"

Gary nodded, "Indeed. But we'll have to wait until we can meet with the others."

* * *

Passenger Area, First Chartered Bus, en route to EUA Pasir Ris

Talia stared at Rick, speaking with his other NSF comrades, from the window of the bus as she was seated at the front seat, enabling her to see the six Guardsmen in their flecktarn uniforms and motorbike gear.

"Ms. Gladys?"

"Hmm?" she said, facing Arthur. He was seated beside her.

"Is there something on your mind?"

"Nothing, Arthur." Talia smiled and shook her head, staring back at the window. "It's just that one of our armed escorts remind me of someone I met back in the Equatorial Union when I was invited to give a lecture."

"Do you mean the one when you gave a lecture on a pre-National Service conference for males." When he saw Talia nod, he then asked another question. "Did it include any females?"

"Only a few." sighed Talia. "According to Equatorial Union law, females may serve if they choose to volunteer. Though there were a proportionate number of them."

"I see." Arthur scratched his head, getting his question answered.

* * *

Passenger Area, Second Chartered Bus, en route to EUA Pasir Ris

"Hey, Sai."

"Yea?"

Miriallia sat next to Sai on the first chartered bus, with the other seated in various bus seats in their chartered bus. The two were seated in the front area of the bus.

"Did you notice somebody from our escorts?"

"Not sure." Sai fixed his glasses. "Is it someone I know?"

"I thought I saw Rick back there?" Miriallia said, not sure of what she was seeing.

"You mean Kira's cousin?" Miriallia nodded a yes. "I see. I don't think I had the chance to see."

_I'll see him all right. _Miriallia seemed to frown at the thought of possibly seeing Rick. _We need to talk._

In the seat behind them, Sophia felt her chest tighten when she saw Rick in military gear._  
_

* * *

After the chartered buses were secured, renegade Scout Rangers gave the all clear signal for Rick and the others to escort them back to EUA Pasir Ris. Rick gave the thumbs up to the bus drivers and his comrades, donned his black balaclava, motorbike goggles and helmet, while Hamid and the others did the same. Afterwards, the convoy departed from Changi Airport.

During the journey, Luis, Avir and Davan covered the front of the convoy while Rick, Hamid and Tim covered the rear of the convoy from their motorbikes. Also accompanying the convoy were Laguna SUVs with the ST Kinetics .50 machine guns mounted on the roof, ready for any sign of trouble.

So far, they have not met any sign of trouble. With the exception of cheers and jubilation coming from the locals by handing flowers to the renegade soldiers whenever their convoy stops by the red light. Rick and others were happy enough to accept the gifts from the townspeople, not before heading back to the base.

* * *

Command Center, OMNI Enforcer Contingent Camp, Pahang, Malaysia, Equatorial Union

"Sir!" One of the radio technicians reported to Ian, who was in the command center checking on some intelligence reports given to them by the DMI.

"What is it?"

"We've received information from the DMI that they've got reports of mercenaries arriving in Singapore."

"What?" Ian could not believe his luck.

"I'm afraid so, Lieutenant Commander." The technician replied. "Unless we warn Captain Neo about this, we won't be able to do anything."

"I'll inform him myself." said Ian, asking another radio technician to get in contact with DMI intelligence. "When will the Captain be back?"

"Not until the afternoon after lunch, sir."

* * *

Passenger Area, Second Chartered Bus, en route to EUA Pasir Ris

"I don't believe it." murmured Sai, watching the townspeople's reaction when they saw the renegade soldiers escorting the buses.

"Reminds of the 2006 coup in Thailand." added Mir. "Almost all the people were jubilant at the sight of them."

"Hmm..." Sai tapped his chin. "The people must not really like their president really bad."

* * *

Passenger Area, First Chartered Bus, en route to EUA Pasir Ris

Talia watched the situation from her seat, fascinated by the reaction of the locals.

_Never expected that. Usually, people are most of the time hostile whenever they see renegade soldiers trying to launch a coup against their government. I guess there are some exceptions, and this happens to be one of them._

"It seems to be odd."

"Excuse me?" Talia faced Arthur, who took was taken aback by the scene of the people welcoming the rebel soldiers.

"Very interesting." Arthur said. "I mean, it's nowadays that rebel forces are being treated with courtesy."

"I guess you're right on that one, Arthur." Talia replied, agreeing to his statement.

* * *

Outskirts of Command Center, EUA Pasir Ris, Singapore, Equatorial Union

Matt, Anish, Larry and Rachel waited for the chartered buses to settle themselves inside the base camp after Rick and his Equatorial Union Guard comrades were able to escort the buses to safety. Rick directed the others to guide the buses to the said designated spot near the barracks area. Once that was done, he parked his Kawasaki KLR250 nearby and took off his goggles.

"So what's the situation?" asked Anish, grinning at the helmeted NSF Guardsman.

"So far, so good." Rick took off his helmet and shook his head to clear the dust from wearing the helmet. "We didn't encounter anyone suspicious when the crowds greeted us on our way back, but we better hurry and debrief all the volunteers. There's no telling when the government and the OMNI contingent will move in on us."

"I'll have to inform Major Bauer." said Rachel, walking back to the command center. "He just arrived when you guys left."

"Man," Anish scratched his head. "It's a good thing that the major decided to move the command center in a recently-made bunker near the place."

"Yea." said Larry in agreement. "That way, the enemy can't bomb us to pieces."

"Well." Rick wore his helmet and goggles again. "Think the guys need me now. I'm heading to the barracks and assist in getting them out of the buses."

With that, Rick started his KLR250 and drove off to the barracks as fast as the motorbike can take him.

* * *

Command Center, OMNI Enforcer Contingent Camp, Pahang, Malaysia, Equatorial Union

With Neo back at the camp's command center, he and Ian began to debrief the ace pilots summoned by Ian himself. Sven and the two young Phantom Pain pilots were called in alongside Morgan, Jane and Rena. As a token of gesture in symbolizing the cooperation between the Equatorial Union and OMNI, Ken Bederstadt was also invited to participate in the debriefing with Garsky and Jake along.

"According to the debriefing provided to me by the defense secretary and through our Intelligence Corp. liaisons, it's been confirmed that volunteers have arrived in Singapore from the Philippines' Luzon Island, conveniently held by the EURM." explained Neo, pointing to the locations using the computerized map of the Equatorial Union.

"So what happens now, sir?" asked Sven, inquiring about the latest development.

"Intelligence is working on estimates on the number of mercenaries working with the EURM." added Ian, tipping his officer's cap gently. "Right now, Equatorial Union Marines are making preparations to storm the EURM-held Pasir Ris base."

"Do we move in as well?" Jane asked, raising a good point.

"Just a minute." advised Ken, raising his hand in objection. "You haven't been given the go from my government to _assist _us in the siege."

"And just how long do we have to wait?" Ian snarled at the ex-EFL soldier/Equatorial Union _ace _pilot.

"I'm sorry, Lt. Commander." Garsky apologized on behalf of Ken and Jake. "But that's what we were told to tell you people."

"Great." Morgan huffed, blowing out some cigar smoke from his lungs before replacing the Cuban cigar back in his mouth, puffing it to inhale cigar smoke again.

* * *

Mobile Suit Pool, EUA Pasir Ris, Singapore, Equatorial Union

"Hey Anie." Rick was in the mobile suit pool, watching Anie working on the Secundus mobile suits as a part of a maintenance check. "Thanks for helping me graft the giant Dao sword that I asked."

"No problem" Anie grinned at Rick. "If it weren't for some of the guys in maintenance who used to be with the Junk Guild, we wouldn't be able to do it anyway."

"Fair enough." Rick twirled the red beret on his hand, lightly touching the Guards seal placed on his beret. Tracing the seal, consisting of a black shield with the symbol of a sword placed on it, he grinned before he wore his red beret on his head and fixed his Equatorial Union Army Flecktarn BDU.

"Rick!"

Turning his head to find out who was calling him, he only figured it out when a young girl, with familiar brown hair, crashed into him and quickly wrapped her arms around him.

"You jerk!" Rick swore the girl's voice was a bit familiar to him.

_Say! Isn't that..._

"Nice to see you around these parts?" Another familiar person, wearing his glasses, smiled at him while fixing his spectacles.

"Sai? Sai Argyle?" Rick said, watching him smirk. "Then, it's Mir." The Chinese-Filipino EURM rebel wrapped her arms around her and patted her on the shoulder.

"It's alright, Mir." Rick assured. "It's not like I'm dead or anything."

Miriallia, looking up at Rick, smiled at him through her tears. "I know. I was worried about you."

"I'm fine." Rick said, waving his hand left and right while scratching the back of his head. Eyeing a passing rebel Guardsman, he asked the soldier to assist Miriallia and Sai to get them something to eat, since he deduced that they might be a bit hungry from the flight. Scratching his head in confusion, he could only wonder what other surprises would bring him today.

"Rick!"

_Not again! _Rick sighed and tried to figure out who was trying to call him, only to have some interesting feminine arms wrap around him. _Her voice seems familiar, but who? Better figure it out before I get a nosebleed... _When Rick's eyes came back to full vision, he realized that he was staring into a woman's chest, with some interesting "things" under some clothing. _Thank god that she wasn't nude, otherwise I'd die and go to heaven!_

"It is you." He felt hands holding the sides of his face, being pushed up to view the black-haired woman.

"So-Sophia? Sophia DiFalco?" Saying her name, Rick felt his heart was beating rapidly to the point that it wanted to jump out of his chest. "Haven't seen you since you moved out of the neighborhood a few years ago."

"Rick Chung." Sophia whispered softly, using her hands to brush some of his hair from his face in order to look at his eyes. He noted that she smiled when he made eye contact with her.

"Uh..." Rick mumbled, not noticing that Sophia's cheeks were turning a bit red with him joining in too. He took a glance at his left and noted that some of the EURM mechanics and technicians were mumbling to themselves that Rick was a _lucky bastard _for trying to score with a _woman _like Sophia.

"Sophia?" Rick whispered, loud enough for Sophia to hear.

"Hmm...?"

"You're staring at me."

"Sorry." Sophia quickly apologized, a bit embarrassed with her cheeks still red.

"Why are you here for?" Rick scratched the back of his head. He glanced at the side and noted that the same people who were staring at him went back to work.

"I thought that joining you guys against OMNI is a worthy cause." Sophia's smile turned into a frown. "Not after we were betrayed by our superiors back in Alaska."

Rick gasped a bit; he heard from EURM DMI and NIB agents that the Alaska battle was done partly due to a ZAFT Commander's doing, one commander named Rau Le Creuset, after some of their agents joined up with a group called the Three Ship Alliance. At least, that was what they informed Rick after the first few weeks of battles against loyalist bases in Singapore had commenced.

"I heard." Rick replied. "No one should betray one another for their own survival, even if the situation looks grim."

"I know." Sophia smiled again. "But look on the bright side." She then handed a white envelope to Rick. "I have something for you."

"A letter?" Rick checked it to see if there was a name written on it. "Whose it from?"

"From someone who wants to see you again." Sophia said warmly. She placed her right hand on his left cheek, using her index finger to caress his face. "She's waiting for you back at Orb."

"Do you mean..." trailed Rick, wondering about who the black-haired woman was referring to.

Without saying anything, Sophia leaned down and kissed Rick on his left cheek before leaving him. "I have to go and meet up with the others. I'll see you later, okay?"

"Sure." Rick said, watching Sophia go on her way. He let his left hand touched the spot where Sophia kissed him, while being under the semi-jealous glares of his comrades.

_Hmm... My heart felt like bursting out of my chest. But when Sophia mentioned that someone else was waiting for me, my heartbeat increased its pace by twice as much as what I felt when she hugged me._

Staring at the letter that Sophia gave to him, he twirled it with his finger before he decided to open the letter envelope.

_I wonder who wrote to me the letter? I'm kinda curious..._

As he began to open the letter, Rick's heartbeat began to pace rapidly in curiosity to who the writer was. When he opened the letter envelope, Rick almost fainted when he found out who wrote the letter to him...

Chapter 10 END


	11. The Mercenaries, Part 3

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED/Kidou Senshi Gundam SEED: Rebellion

By: Ominae

Rating: T

NOTE:

Concept of the Gundam SEED series are under the copyright of Mitsuo Fukuda, Bandai and Sunrise. Cameo appearances of characters from Mobile Suit Gundam: Lost War Chronicles are under the copyright of Bandai Games, Masato Natsumoto and Tomohiro Chiba. Cameo appearance of Sophia DiFalco and other elements of Birds of a Feather are a courtesy from Solid Shark. All other characters and technology (weapons, vehicles) are under my jurisdiction, with some exceptions.

Summary:

With the mercenaries being prepared for a long siege against Equatorial Union government forces in mainland Southeast Asia, OMNI contingents under the mysterious Neo Roanoke have summoned aces such as Morgan Chevalier and Rena Imalia to even the odds, with the government's contribution in the form of former Eurasian Foreign Legion ace mobile suit pilots Ken Bederstadt, Garsky Ayrault and Jake Clinton. What other things will Neo have under his sleeve? Will the mercenaries be able to survive their first day in EURM camp? Stay tune to this chapter to find out.

Chapter 11: The Mercenaries, Part 3

Mobile Suit Pool, EUA Pasir Ris, Singapore, Equatorial Union

Opening the letter envelope given to him by Sophia, Rick unfolded the paper inside and the Coordinator was shocked to find out who wrote it to him.

_I...I... _Rick felt a bit nervous reading the letter. _Never expected to read a letter from her. _Just to find out what the letter had to say, Rick read the entire letter word per word.

_Dear Ricky,_

_I've seen the news reports in Orb about you being one of the active members of the revolt against your government. Personally, your actions gravely reminded me of the day I defected from the Atlantic Federation military after I learned that my superiors had betrayed me. I don't plan to explain it all here since it's not my main concern._

_The important thing is, I'm worried about you. I really am. It's not only me, but Kira and your uncle and aunt are worried sick about me. After I saw you first on TV, I just couldn't sleep well in the night back here. There were times that I sometimes cry in my sleep since I always wonder if you could stay alive. _

_Please do me a favor and keep yourself alive back there. Just the thought of you fighting in that rebellion just makes me worried. I really am.  
_

_Sincerely, _

_Murrue_

_Murrue... _Rick folded the letter and shoved it on the right pocket of his pants. _I... I never meant to hurt her feelings. What do I do?_

Rick clearly remembered now. Murrue, aside from Sophia, were his neighbors who moved in his neighborhood when he was in elementary school and the girls in their late teens from the Atlantic Federation. He did take a liking of them to a point where he had a crush on the two ladies since he found them to be pretty. His deep feelings were confirmed when he found out Murrue was his teacher in Social Science during his high school years. Before reading the letter, he thought of the two of them as his sisters, friends and confidants. But for Murrue, he thought of her also as a teacher and silently hid his thoughts of her as the boy's crush. Rick still wondered if he liked Murrue or Sophia and if he ever relinquished his feelings for one or the other.

"Hey Rick!"

Turning around, he saw that Hamid was standing behind him. He, like Rick, was wearing his standard Equatorial Union Guards beret.

"What's up?"

"Major Bauer expects you to be near the command center soon. He's gonna have a little talk with the mercenary volunteers."

Rick nodded, "Right."

* * *

Outskirts of Command Center, EUA Pasir Ris, Singapore, Equatorial Union

As Rick walked towards the command center, he noted that some of the volunteers were spread out near the outskirts of the area. While most of them were busy waiting for Major Bauer to arrive, Rick noticed a familiar woman standing next to a green-haired man and chatting with him.

"Strange." whispered Rick, eyeing the brown-haired woman while walking near the command center. "I know I've seen her before, but from where?"

What Rick didn't know is that some of his comrades, including Hamid, were now wearing Equatorial Union Army fatigues and Equatorial Union Guards berets, were eyeing the _familiar _woman and whispered to themselves before nodding their heads together. He was still loss in his thoughts on the letter given to him.

* * *

_What the hell?_Rick had walked near his comrades, apparently done from maintenance duties of their Secundus mobile suits when he heard cat calls and loud whistling. When he located the source of the sound, he found some crates empty of any people sitting on them.

"I wonder what was that about?" murmured the Chinese-Filipino EURM rebel, noting that a few people were looking at his direction. _Crap! This is really embarrassing..._

"Excuse me?"

"Yes?" When Rick faced the person who called for him, he immediately noted a degree of familiarity with the brown-haired woman. "Do I know you?"

The woman could only smile at him. "My. You don't really remember me?"

"No." Rick shook his head. "Though I do remember seeing you from somewhere." He noted that the woman sighed at him.

"Let me give you a hint. It was a year ago when I came into your school as a guest lecturer when you had a forum regarding the concept of national service. I also bumped into you a few weeks after that talk I gave you."

Something pinged inside Rick, knowing who the woman was. "M...Ms. Gladys? It can't be..."

Talia grinned at the confused teen. "In the flesh. I can't believe that you didn't notice me."

"I'm sorry." Rick apologized, scratching his head. "It just seems that I haven't seen you for a long time. But," Rick stared at Talia. "what are you doing here anyway?"

Matt Healy and Rachel had exited from the command center, calling on the volunteers present to assemble.

"Sorry." whispered Talia, smiling at Rick. "I'll tell you some other time." Watching Talia assemble with the other volunteers, Rick took a nasty glance behind him and knew what had happened.

_Guys must have set this up! But how..._

"Hey man!"

Tim tackled Rick from behind after hiding from some of the tents propped up near the command center.

"Dammit!" Rick said, pushing Tim off him. "I knew I had a bad feeling about that..."

"But still..." Avir grinned, coming out from one of the tents with Hamid and the others. "we still get to see her again right? I mean, we didn't expect one of our guest lecturers to come here and fight our revolution for us."

"I guess..." Rick mumbled, dusting himself off the mud from his uniform after getting himself up from the ground.

"Oh no!" yelled Luis. "Major's here!"

The six NSF servicemen/Secundus pilots were watching Major Bauer, in full Equatorial Union army uniform, approach the assembled mercenaries in front of the command center with Jess Rable filming them and Miriallia taking photos of them. Rick noted that she had a green headband, orange shirt and jeans while photographing the mercenaries and the approaching Major Bauer with Matt Healy beside him.

"Salute the major, guys!" reminded Rick. He and the others stood at attention and gave a formal salute to Major Bauer, who saluted the six NSF rebels and began to speak with the volunteers. Jess and Miriallia began to film and photograph the six NSFs before focusing their camera lenses to Major Bauer again. Nearby, Yuki filmed the entire debriefing session of Major Bauer with Rachel assisting her.

"I see that I know some of you here." Major Bauer began, eyeing various ZAFT and former ZAFT personalities such as Talia Gladys, Arthur Trine and Andrew Waltfeld. "But for most of you around here, I don't know you by name and face. But I am sure that you're all here to assist the EURM in our struggle to help our people overthrow our corrupt president."

* * *

Somewhere in EUA Pasir Ris, Singapore, Equatorial Union

"Sato, is this really a good idea?"

Standing near the perimeter of EUA Pasir Ris, Sato and Gary were looking towards the outskirts of the base. Though they were volunteers, the two were not allowed to head outside without consent from the higher ups especially since the base was under rebel control.

"Our contact's suppose to give us a ride to town, Gary. You just have to be patient." A few minutes, Sato noted someone outside the base waving something at him.

"It's our lucky day." grinned Sato. "Our contact's outside already."

"So how we get out?" asked Gary, scratching his head.

Eyeing an outgoing cargo truck, Sato suddenly grinned at the vehicle and looked underneath it before he looked at his colleague.

"How's about we go under?"

* * *

Outskirts of Command Center, EUA Pasir Ris, Singapore, Equatorial Union

"I would assume that most of you have come to the Equatorial Union and join up with us in assuming our duties and overthrow our corrupt our president for violating our nation's neutrality while repressing my countrymen in the name of national security!"

Major Bauer kept speaking to the volunteers, thanking them for coming. "But this will be a long fight. The presence of OMNI forces in the region just shows that President Chua and Copeland are bastards in perverting human rights. They wish to draw out another Vietnam-style war in the Equatorial Union." Murmurs came from the flanks of the mercenary volunteers after hearing that Earth forces are in the country.

* * *

Command Center, OMNI Enforcer Contingent Camp, Pahang, Malaysia, Equatorial Union

"Sir? Are you going to sortie?"

Ian had received a report from the Atlantic Federation with orders from the Department of Defense, instructing Neo to sortie with the government.

"I'm afraid I don't have much chance." Neo fixed his mask. "If I recall correctly, Lord Djibril has a prototype that he gave me from the Azrael Conglomerate."

"Sir?" Ian was confused. "Do you mean the GAT-04 Windam that arrived yesterday?"

"That one indeed." answered Neo, studying the digital map of the area near EUA Pasir Ris. "Do we have a go from the government to sortie with the national army?"

"Of course." Ian started to explain on the contingents present in the Equatorial Union. "Our contingents comprise of mobile suit forces from the Atlantic Federation and the Eurasian Federation. Armed support from aerial units are from the same two countries, as well as a contribution from the South African Union. The Republic of East Asia has committed their Marines, with some Marine contingents from the Atlantic Federation. All four nations, including the United States of South America, has provided several infantry battalions too."

"All right." Neo replied, checking the map again. "Are the pilots ready to sortie?"

"All of them, sir." answered Ian. "In fact, I received news that we were given permission by the government to sortie with its army."

"And tanks?" asked Neo again. "What about them?"

Ian scratched his head. "Well, most of them are going to be from the Atlantic and Eurasian Federations. Only the Republic of East Asia has committed a tank battalion. The South African Union couldn't commit any tanks since I heard rumors that they were going to retire them."

Neo grinned; he was waiting for that answer. "Excellent. Now we might be able to wipe out those rebels as a favor for the Equatorial Union." He then exited the tent.

"And one more thing, Lee." said Neo, turning his head to face Ian.

"Yes, sir?"

"Ask the technicians to paint the prototype Windam purple and dark grey."

* * *

Outskirts of Command Center, EUA Pasir Ris, Singapore, Equatorial Union

"Of course with your assistance here," continued Major Bauer, looking at the volunteer with emotion and pride. "we could bring this civil war to an end and bring change for the good of the country. For a better future of the Equatorial Union!"

Rick and others watched as the volunteers cheered the major on, they had seemed to be impressed by the rousing speech that Major Bauer gave to them. The rebel soldiers were also overjoyed by the speech, cheering alongside the mercenaries.

"This is interesting." murmured Yuki before facing her cameraman. "Keep recording this. It's a big scoop." The cameraman gave a thumbs up.

"For the rest of the details," said Major Bauer, ending his introduction. "I'd like to let Staff Sergeant Chung take over from here." The officer faced Rick, who was a bit stunned. "Come on over."

Stepping forward near Major Bauer, the two gave each other a salute before the former left the area with Rachel and Matt Healy.

With the mercenary volunteers eyeing the Guardsman, Rick coughed a bit to get their attention.

"Now that I have your attention," _Why me? Why, of all the people Major Bauer picked, me? _"I'll guide you all to your respective volunteer positions."

* * *

Mobile Suit Pool, OMNI Enforcer Contingent Camp, Pahang, Malaysia, Equatorial Union

Neo, standing near the prototype GAT-04 Windam, spoke to a Windam mechanic regarding the status of his mobile suit.

"So is it ready?"

"Of course, sir." replied the mechanic, wiping sweat off his head with his arm. "As you requested, we were able to paint this purple and dark grey a while ago. It should dry up momentarily."

"Excellent." nodded Neo. "What about the mobile suits of the others?"

"You mean Commander Chevalier and the others? All of them are on standby, we did routine maintenance."

"Good work. I need the mobile suit forces ready in 30 minutes or less."

"But Captain..." insisted the mechanic, a bit surprised. "Half of the other mobile suits for the regular forces aren't ready yet!"

"Don't worry." Neo raised a hand. "Equatorial Union army's going to provide the bulk of the mobile suit forces. Just ready whatever mobile suit you can from our camp."

The mechanic sighed, "Yes, sir."

Motioning an officer nearby, Neo spoke to him and got his instructions to him.

"Mobilize all the pilots and infantry. Tell them to be on combat ready status immediately. We're moving out shortly."

"Understood, sir." The officer, with the rank of Lieutenant, saluted Neo before running off to inform the others about Neo's orders.

* * *

Back in EUA Pasir Ris, Rick guided the volunteers to their responsible while all are posted in the rebel camp.

Inside the underground command center, Rick assisted Natarle and the former Archangel crew in setting themselves up in charge of electronic warfare. He was told by the former Archangel executive officer that their experience in the area would be very useful. Rick agreed and placed Talia and Arthur for communications with the mercenary volunteers and the base.

Rick then placed non-combat mercenary personnel in charge of either repairs or logistics. He then placed Youlant in charge of repairing mobile weapons while he placed Kisato and Liam in charge of logistics.

For the mercenary mobile suit pilots, Rick had a tough time in figuring out who should be in charge on who. Finally, he placed Sophia, Andrew and Kisaka in charge of mercenary volunteers of mostly former ZAFT members. A small minority were former soldiers from the OMNI states, the Orb Union and other soldiers from other neutral nations. For the other mercenary pilots, Rick was surprised to see Gai Murakamo and Lowe Guele in charge on them, especially those volunteers who are currently active in ZAFT.

Rick had hoped that the arrangements would be most suitable for the mercenaries...

* * *

Conference Room, EUA Pasir Ris, Singapore, Equatorial Union

Rick was inside the conference room with Matt Healy, Rachel and Major Bauer. Invited aboard the meeting were Talia Gladys, Natarle Badgiruel, Andrew Waltfeld, Sophia DiFalco, Ledonir Kisaka and Gai Murakamo. Lowe was in the mobile suit pool, assisting EURM mechanics in fixing the mobile weapons parked in the area with Yoon.

"First of all," Major Bauer began the debriefing session, using an overhead map of Singapore and Malaysia on the projector screen. "we need the volunteers to help us reinforce the entire base. I've received intelligence from our EURM agents in the army that OMNI forces are preparing to assist the government forces in raiding this base."

"They've been ready for that." answered Gai, fixing his spectacles. "My group's also ready to defend this base."

"Do you know the makeup of the opposing forces?" asked Natarle, wanting to get the details.

"I'm afraid not." Rachel offered to answer, running her hand on her blonde hair. "We do know is that OMNI forces will provide aerial, mobile suit and infantry assistance while the government will do most of the fighting."

"Are there any estimates as to what time would they arrive?" Kisaka said, offering a good question to the people inside the room.

"They don't know. But it could be anytime today." replied Matt, scratching his head.

"Everyone from the volunteers are ready for their first battle." explained Sophia. "It's only a matter of time before the base gets under attack."

Rick sighed; their contact in the DMI and NIB were not able to get inside information about the time that government and OMNI forces would arrive in the area. That information would play a key role in defending their base, even if they have to die.

"You alright, kiddo?" asked Andrew, raising an eyebrow on the sight of Rick sighing.

"First of all, don't call me kid. I'm 18 now." objected Rick, raising an eyebrow of his own. "And second, I seem to be tired. Probably didn't get enough sleep."

"If I could make a suggestion." said Talia, voicing out to get some attention. "I think it'd be a good idea if traps would be laid near the perimeter of EUA Pasir Ris. That way, we'd know if enemy mobile weapons fell into them."

"My only concern here would be that any civilian could fall into those traps. Or maybe the enemy could be watching us while we do them." objected Matt, not liking the idea.

"I think it's a good idea." countered Rick. "Major Bauer, what do you think?"

"Though the idea seems to be out of use years ago," commented the major. "it could however slow down the advance of the enemy forces for us to get ready, even if most of our forces are ready."

"I'll get on it, sir." Rick said, standing up before excusing himself to leave the conference room.

* * *

Near outskirts of EUA Pasir Ris, Singapore, Equatorial Union

Guarded by a small team of EURM Equatorial Union Guards and 1st Commando Brigade soldiers, the latter wearing light vests and boonie hats, they watched Rick and some mercenary volunteers work on a few holes near the outskirts of EUA Pasir Ris. The mercenary volunteers were working in civilian clothes as a precaution.

"Sure is a great idea to lay these traps." murmured Rick, covering one of the last few holes with a light tarp in a green color before laying mud on it. _Good thing the area is cleared of civilians before we came here._

"I do agree with you." Kisaka assisted Rick in laying out the green tarp. "Though I might say that it's an old-fashioned trap, this could make a difference for us."

Yzak was with Dearka and Shiho nearby, preparing another hole tarp. The two ex-Le Crueset ZAFT Reds had dug the hole a few minutes ago after Rick announced a need for volunteers from the mercenary force in assisting him to plan the trap.

"Man, this is tiring." Yzak, with a white shirt and pants on, wiped his sweat from his forehead with his arm. He had the shovel on his left hand.

"Oh hush, Yzak." grinned Dearka, as he and Shiho prepared the green tarp to cover the hole. "Rick did suggest it and I think it's a good idea."

"I agree." Shiho too grinned. "Can't wait to see the faces of the government and OMNI forces went they storm the area."

On another prepared hole trap, several ZAFT academy students were busy working on it as the hole was being worked on.

"This ain't fair." grumbled Shinn, digging inside the hole made by the two ZAFT students and FAITH operator. "Why do we guys have to work on this while the girls have an easy job?"

"I agree." Heine shared his sentiment. "Even I have to be here too. Why can't they help us?" _It's a good thing that no one's here to see me. That'd be the worse day of my life._

"Girls..." Rey said in a polite voice. "Can you come down and give us a hand here?"

"Uh, uh." Lunamaria shook her hand. "Aren't men more suitable for that kind of job?" Meyrin only giggled, covering her hand on her mouth.

"If you gentlemen please hurry up," reminded Riika, smiling with the Hawke sisters. "we should be covering this hole right now."

"Women." muttered Shinn under his breath.

Meanwhile, Elijah Kiel and Reed Wheeler were busy digging the last hole trap with Loretta and Conil standing outside the hole.

"Are you guys done?" called Conil, being a bit impatient.

"Almost done." called Elijah, panting a bit as he was a bit tired from digging the hole.

"Man!" cried Reed. "This is hard work."

"Come on you two." giggled Loretta. "We need to hurry so's to get the tarp ready."

"Yeah, yeah." said Elijah and Reed in unison, still trying to get the hole trap ready in time.

Adjacent to the hole trap made by Elijah and Reed, Kaite sat on a pile made by the soil dug out of the hole while covered by the tarp. He seemed to be stretching himself.

"You guys done?" called Kaite, hiding a grin from the view of the two people digging inside.

"Almost done, good sir." replied Arthur, budging his shovel to toss out the last amount of soil from the bottom of the hole. _I shouldn't have volunteered if I knew this would be hard work. _

"Hey lazy bum!" complained Edmund. "Why doncha come down and give us a hand?"

Kaite pretended that he didn't hear what Edmund had said, placing his hand on his ear. "What? Can you speak up?" The blonde mercenary snickered when he heard Edmund grumble with Arthur sighing in the former's frustration.

* * *

Cafeteria, EUA Pasir Ris, Singapore, Equatorial Union

Rick was seated alone in the cafeteria with some mercenary volunteers and EURM personnel, mingling with one another. Alone on his table, he sipped a glass of water while contemplating the situation.

_Now that the trap's been laid, I wonder if they're effective. I know it should be, but I'm confident that it'll work. Everyone in the conference room agreed with Talia's suggestion. _

"Hey."

Talia sat on the table with Rick, noticing that he looked tired. "You okay? You seemed exhausted from digging back there."

"Yeah." Rick nodded, removing his red beret. "Bit tired." He rubbed his hand on his hair, noting that he had a haircut a while ago in order to have short hair.

_Oh my! _Talia couldn't help, but turn red at the sight of it. _Think he looks cute with short hair. Wait a minute! What am I saying?_

"You saw me digging out there?" asked Rick, pretending that he didn't Talia blush.

"On my way out of the meeting, I saw you working with some of the volunteers." grinned Talia, staring at Rick. "Though it could provide exercise for you guys."

"Yeah, no kidding." huffed Rick. Talia giggled at him, watching Rick pout.

Suddenly, an alarm blared out on the entire base, its red siren flashing on the entire room.

"Rick!" called Hamid, who was on his Equatorial Union pilot suit. "Command Center's got report that enemy forces are coming towards the base!"

"Right!" Rick stood up. "Sorry Talia." He faced her. "Maybe we can have a real talk some other time."

"I understand." Talia too stood up from her seat. "I better go too..."

* * *

Outside the cafeteria, both EURM infantry and mercenary volunteers had begun preparations to arm themselves with the small arms either provided or issued to them. The latter group had some small arms provided for themselves, but others chose to arm themselves with the ST Kinetics SAR-24 rifles from the base's armory. The plentiful amount of the rifles were enough to arm those who didn't bring in their own weapons.

Among them was Cagalli, who was wearing a ballistic vest over her red shirt and green pants with her army-style boots. Chambering a single round on her SAR-24 rifle, she gripped it tightly, not knowing of the situation to come.

"Cagalli." whispered Athrun, still in his Alex Dino persona. "You alright?" Besides his red shades, he too had a light vest used by the Equatorial Union Guards, provided to him at his request. He too was armed with the SAR-24.

"Yeah." sighed Cagalli. "It's been a while since I fought with a rifle after Desert Dawn."

"Don't worry." Athrun tried to cheer her up. "I'm here to help. The others are here to help too. If you have any problems, you can let us know."

Cagalli thanked Athrun, smiling at him. "Thanks."

"Hey look!" shouted one of the volunteer soldiers. "Here they come!"

Everyone from the mercenary ranks watched Rick ran out of the barracks with the other Secundus pilots, all decked in their respective Equatorial Union pilot suits and Equatorial Union Guards combat vests.

"All right! Let's do it!" Rick yelled, donning his pilot helmet while running from under his arm. The others followed suit and ran towards their respective Secundus mobile suits. Cheers and shouts came from the mercenary and EURM ranks while Rick and the other pilots entered their Secunduses and closed their cockpits.

"Okay!" Booting up the OS, Rick announced to his comrades via comm links his message. **"Government and OMNI forces are in the area! Hit them now and hit them hard! That clear?"**

**"Yes, sir!"** yelled the five Secundus pilots in unison.

Minutes later, Rick was given a PT Pindad SR-1 beam sniper rifle, passed to him by Avir. Using its scope, he shot down a government VTOL transport that tried to drop in its mobile suit cargo. Watching the yellow beam enter the plane's cockpit, the transport plane exploded in the air after it had been penetrated by the said projectile. Beside him, Luis aimed the Venture 70 mm VMS-1 MOBSUPAD SAM launcher at another VTOL transport that dropped infantry from its belly. Getting a lock-on, he fired the 70 mm rocket and watched it slam into the left wing of the transport. The two witnessed the plane make a hasty retreat out of the area before renegade Strike Daggers and Buster Daggers gunned it down from the sky with their M703 beam rifles and its 220 mm missiles, 350 mm gun launchers and 94 mm high-energy rifles. The plane then made a crash landing in the outskirts of EUA Pasir Ris.

The two factions were now at war.

The EURM knew that they would either win the battle or lose it for good.

Chapter 11 END


	12. The Mercenaries, Part 4

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED/Kidou Senshi Gundam SEED: Rebellion

By: Ominae

Rating: T

NOTE:

Concept of the Gundam SEED series are under the copyright of Mitsuo Fukuda, Bandai and Sunrise. Cameo appearances of characters from Mobile Suit Gundam: Lost War Chronicles are under the copyright of Bandai Games, Masato Natsumoto and Tomohiro Chiba. Cameo appearance of Sophia DiFalco and other elements of Birds of a Feather are a courtesy from Solid Shark. All other characters and technology (weapons, vehicles) are under my jurisdiction, with some exceptions.

Summary:

With Equatorial Union government forces leading the assault on the EURM-held Pasir Ris base, the mercenaries and the EURM rebels are mobilized to fight back against the invasion in order to halt the EURM's attempt to press on towards the nation's capital. Can they survive the attack or die trying? Stay tune to this chapter to find out.

Chapter 12: The Mercenaries, Part 4

Runway, EUA Pasir Ris, Singapore, Equatorial Union

Two people were seen running towards a parked PMP (Propulsion & Machinery Progress) FX-550 Skygrasper painted in a gray and black scheme. With a ladder clamped on the right side of the cockpit's edge, the two mercenary fighters were being readied for combat as the vehicle was the only air fighter made available to the mercenaries with F-7D Spearheads being used by EURM pilots.

"Say?" One of them had a pilot's suit on, on loan to her from the EURM, while climbing the ladder to the Skygrasper's navigation seat. "Why don't you have a piloting suit?"

"I can easily tell you why, oh Victorian Kestrel." grinned the blonde man, playing briefly with his ponytail before pointing to his collared shirt and necktie. "If I'm going to die later on," The man smirked to Sophia, watching him from the lens of her pilot helmet. "then I'd rather die with some class."

Sophia frowned at him. "Whatever, Madigan." _Why can't Yoon and the others hurry up with the other Skygrasper instead of sticking along with Kaite?_

* * *

Outskirts of EUA Pasir Ris, Singapore, Equatorial Union

On the outskirts of the main rebel camp, EURM and mercenary mobile suits and fighters backed by EURM soldiers and mercenaries on foot came face-to-face with government mobile suits and infantry backed by OMNI reinforcements.

"Sweet mother!" Elijah grinned from inside the cockpit of his customized ZGMF-1017 GINN, firing his 76 mm MMI-M8A3 machine gun at the incoming government F-7D Spearheads and Primus mobile suits. "This is better than handling a contract job!" After he reloaded his machine gun, he placed it on the GINN's rear and drew out his MA-M3 heavy sword. He then charged towards a government Strike Dagger, cutting its right arm that held the mobile suit's ES01 beam saber.

"Concentrate on what you're doing, Elijah!" reminded Gai, using his MBF-P03 Gundam Astray Blue Frame Second L in action. Dodging the beam attack from the 350 mm gun launcher of a government Buster Dagger, he drew out a couple of Armor Schneider combat knives and dashed to his target. Stabbing the enemy mobile suit on its cockpit and neck, he noticed electrical charges emitted from the Buster Dagger before he took out the blades from it. After getting out of the way, the mobile suit soon exploded and it concealed the wails of the government pilot who had died along in the explosion.

_Better check it with the people. _Inside the cockpit of his Secundus, Rick patched in a link with Noel with Talia and the others from the command center. **"Noel! Any reports on the hole traps near the base?"**

**"Yes there is." **Rick grinned upon hearing the news. **"Talia does have the details on the traps; I heard that all the traps were used."**

**"Great, thanks Noel." **Rick then patched up a link with Talia's. **"Talia, any information on the guys who fell for the traps?"**

**"Yes, I do." **replied Talia. **"In fact, I have some feeds from some of the mercenaries on foot. I should give you a link in your cockpit shortly."**

Observing the visual links from the Secundus' cockpit monitors, he saw that most mobile suits and a Linear Tank had fallen for the trap. _Two government Strike Daggers, a Duel and Long Dagger, a Primus, an OMNI Strike Dagger and Dagger L, most likely from the Atlantic Federation, have fallen for the hole traps. Better tell the rest on what to do._

**"Talia!" **Rick yelled, seeing a Duel Dagger charge at him with its beam saber. **"Coordinate with the artillery units to strike them down now!" **Seeing the immediate threat, Rick drew out the Kris beam saber and crouched before he sliced the Duel Dagger in half, resulting in an explosion.

**"I'll take care of that. Over and out." **Rick stared at the left monitor from his seat and saw the 155 mm cannons of the Continental Military AGM (Artillery Gun Model) 1 howitzers aiming upwards before it fired its shells towards the hole traps that he had set up 2 hours ago, destroying its metallic victims.

**"Avir, you guys okay?" **Rick patched a radio link with his Israeli comrade, seeing his opaque faceplate and helmet on his screen.

**"We're all fine here." **Avir answered, frowning while the opaque faceplate hid his features. **"We just didn't expect this much aggressiveness from the government and the OMNI contingent."**

**"Right. Over and out." **With that, Rick killed the screen that he used to make contact before concentrating back on the main screens. Rick eyed an OMNI Strike Dagger remove the folded shoulder stock from the 57 mm M703 beam rifle. _Have to take him out! Our Primus and Secundus suits don't have phase shift. Lucky OMNI bastards!_

Lifting the OMNI Strike Dagger after using his Secundus' thrusters to catch the lone mobile suit by surprise, Rick heaved it by the arm before he tossed it to a group of OMNI Linear Tanks. Seeing the tanks were crushed, he fired his Floro 40 mm MK-1 CIWS on the crippled Strike Dagger, destroying it and the tanks in the process. _Good thing I had the Secundus personally calibrated to lift a mobile suit made by OMNI so's I could execute a shoulder throw.  
_

"Now where's that rifle I dropped?" Seeing the FERFRANS 60 mm ML-1 beam rifle that he dropped, he ejected the clip to check if it was empty. Knowing that it was, he tossed the clip aside and withdrew another kept on the Hindalco anti-beam shield on the Secundus' right arm.

_Strange? _Rick felt something tingle in his brain. Something was suspicious in the battle ahead of him.

_What is it? Is someone who I don't know around here? What's this old feeling that I just felt a while ago?  
_

* * *

"Charge!"

Shinn, using a regular GINN, widly fired his 76 mm MMI-M8A3 machine gun at incoming OMNI Strike Daggers and GAT-02L2 Dagger Ls that were trying to approach EUA Pasir Ris. Hastily reloading his weapon, he turned the weapon's barrel against loyalist Primuses, Buster Daggers and Long Daggers.

_Damn it! Damn it to hell! At least I can partially take my revenge on OMNI for what they did to Orb, but the one who I should be after is the Freedom...  
_

Riika was supporting Shinn, using a regular GINN in her first encounter with loyalist forces. Armed with the M69 Barrus heavy particle cannon, she aimed the weapon's scope with the aid of her special glasses and pulled the trigger. A red beam emitted from the Barrus' barrel and it plowed through several loyalist and OMNI mobile suits before it could be heard, at the end, destroying a Radar Truck used by loyalist forces on loan by the OMNI contingent.

_Why did ZAFT secretly gave us GINNs, CGUEs, GINN High Manuevers, GuAIZs and BuCUEs? They should've dumped these models and fielded the ZAKU Warriors instead. _Noticing two Primuses drawing out their Kris beam sabers and leaping in the air thanks to its thrusters, Riika fired the missiles from her M68 Pardus missile launchers mounted on her GINN's legs after she had a lock-on on the two mobile suits.

"Gotcha!" Riika grinned, eyeing the two exploding mobile suits before turning the barrel of her Barrus particle cannon towards a strange purple and dark grey Windam mobile suit in the area. Riika squeezed off a shot at the new mobile suit, but she could only watch as it dodged her attack before it tried to attack her with its ES04B beam saber.

"Damn!" Riika grabbed her MA-M3 heavy sword after she dropped her Barrus particle cannon and attempted to strike the new enemy. As the sword was about to hit the Windam's A52 offensive shield Type E, a ZGMF-515 CGUE was then in front of her without Riika noticing and tried to thrust its MA-M4A heavy sword at the Windam. Howver, its pilot had quickly blocked it in impulse. Riika halted her attack when the CGUE was in front of her.

"Think you can kill one of my comrades?" sneered Rey, inside the cockpit of the CGUE. _I was able to sense him though. Wonder if he's familiar. _"Take this!"

_What? This can't be! He reminds me of a ZAFT commander that OMNI used to fight with before... _Neo gritted his teeth, using his Windam's A52 offensive shield to block the stab attack meant for him. _Good thing I sensed his approach._

**"Here's help!" **Dearka, from the cockpit of one of the Buster Daggers that he acquired from the EURM, began to connect the 350 mm gun launcher and 94 mm high-energy rifle to form an anti-armor shotgun. Aiming it at the Windam, he fired four shots that proved to be meaningless when Neo had also dodged the shots meant for him; they instead went for two OMNI GAT-01A1 105 Daggers in its Aile Dagger configuration, instantly destroyed when the shots made contact with the Daggers twice.

"I sense someone." Neo looked at the monitors inside his Windam. "I felt someone was here too besides this CGUE." Activating the rocket thrusters on the Windam's mounted AQM/E-A4ME Jet Striker, he began to search the battlefield to find out where the second link was coming from.

**"Thanks." **Riika thanked Dearka and Rey for saving her hide.

**"No problem." **replied the two in unison.

* * *

On the ground from the mobile suit battles, EURM infantry and special forces soldiers were clashing with their loyalist counterparts on foot with assistance from their tanks and armored vehicles. Only this time, they were being backed by loyalist and OMNI Marines.

"The Marines! The Marines are here!" yelled an EURM Special Strike Force soldier, making sure his Equatorial Union Army flecktarn toque was on before he engaged some loyalist soldiers with his SAR-24 assault rifle while using the hill as cover.

"Shit!" murmured another. "Why aren't our Marine guys coming to aid us?"

"Apprently they've been held up elsewhere. Our Linear Tanks are too busy helping the others." Major Bauer, for the first time, had decided to fight alongside his fellow soldiers in the battlefield. Dressed in Equatorial Union Guards gear, he reached for a 30-round magazine from the magazine pouch of his load bearing vest and reloaded his weapon before he opened fire against a group of Atlantic Federation and Republic of East Asia Marines. Being assisted by regular and conscripted EURM forces, most of the OMNI Marines were killed before the uninjured ones were forced to get them of harm's way. Nearby, EURM Continental Military AV-1T (Turreted) vehicles fired its 50 mm cannons on incoming loyalist and OMNI soldiers while their ST Kinetics Bionix-2 MBTs and a couple of Linear Tanks were providing cover fire. Loyalist forces where doing the same thing, though they had Linear Tanks to aid them as well.

In a recently made trench nearby, Athrun was with Cagalli and Kisaka alongside several other mercenaries including Sahib and Conil.

"Cagalli! Are you okay?" asked Athrun, hearing a rocket nearly hit their position.

"Don't worry about me! I'm all right!" Cagalli shouted through the sounds of machine gun bullets and rocket warheads being fired by the opposing parties.

"Better move, people! We're still under fire!" Sahib loaded a warhead onto an antique Rosoboronexport RPG-7D3. When Kisaka stared at him, the Libyan guerrilla explained to him. "PG-7VR warhead."

"Dual warhead for taking out vehicles with anti-armor protection." grinned Conil, holding an IZHMASH AK-74 assault rifle. "Better get back to business..." murmured the pre-teen girl, firing the assault rifle at approaching loyalist forces.

"RPG!" yelled a Repubic of East Asian Marine, shouting to let his comrades get clear of the PG-7VR warhead as it streaked towards an Eurasian Federation Linear Tank, scoring a hit when it exploded after the warhead penetrated its interior. Moments later, the same Marine was gunned down by Cagalli and Kisaka; the former trading her ST Kinetics SAR-24 for an IZHMASH AKMS assault rifle that Sahib and other guerrilla mercenaries had brought in to the Equatorial Union.

"What's a girl like her doing in the battlefield? She's quite young." whispered Kisaka, staring at her for a while before turning his attention to the incoming loyalist Marines by firing an IZHMASH AKM assault rifle.

Reinforcing the mercenary's trench position was a ST Kinetic Bionix-2 MBT parked near them. Commanding it was Edmund at the commander's position with Reed at the driver's position and Loretta at the gunner's position.

_Good thing I left Kazahana back at the mobile suit pool. Don't want her to be in the frontlines. _Loretta thought, in the gunner's position.

"All right!" Edmund had a visual confirmation on a lone OMNI Dagger. "Fire at the Dagger's legs!"

"Got it!" Loretta grinned, aiming the tank's 105 mm cannon at the Dagger's unprotected leg joints. "Aiming at the left!"

"Go get her, Loretta!" cheered Reed, driving the tank carefully.

_Gotcha! _Loretta fired a 105 mm shell at the Dagger's left leg joint twice before targeting its right leg joint. Thanks to the vehicle's autoloading system, the Serpent Tail mercenary could concentrate on disabling the OMNI mobile suit.

Loretta, moments later, pumped her fist up. "Got it, Edmund!" The trio watched the Dagger slowly move, its joints severely damaged.

"Okay!" grinned Edmund, scoring a hit for the first time ever since fighting with OMNI forces as a tank commander once.

"You're mine, sucker!" Yzak, in his still functioning Duel Gundam, lunged at the disabled Dagger by slamming it with its shield to keep the pilot disoriented before he drew out his beam saber and stabbed it at the body, performing a vertical slice. "Hrah!" The ex-ZAFT Red yelled as he forcefully made a cut on the center of the mobile suit short of cutting its cockpit before he retracted the weapon. The Dagger soon was engulfed in an explosion, taking its pilot along with it.

From a distance away from the battle, Jess was inside his ZGMF X-12 Astray Out Frame standing near the base. Using his gun camera to take photos of the battle in both mobile and foot battles, he was excited at the rate of photos that he was acquiring.

_Great! Really great! Mr. Aducarf should be pleased with the photos after I send an e-mail to him. _Checking his monitors, he noted that Miriallia was taking photos of the battle from a safe place inside EUA Pasir Ris. Suddenly, the Astray Out Frame's sensors indicate an enemy mobile suit approaching him from the front.

"What!" Jess was startled by the appearance of a loyalist Primus, with its Kris beam saber. **"Hold it! I'm not here to fight!" **barked Jess, using the loyalist forces frequency. Seeing that the mobile suit would not stop charging him in a threatening manner, he was forced to drop his gun camera and draw out a single beam saber from the Out Frame's waist.

**"Dammit!" **Jess gritted his teeth, moving behind his opponent and stabbing the Primus at its back. **"I'm a frickin' journalist, not a soldier!"  
**

* * *

_This area seems to be quiet. Better check with DaCosta. _In another area near the outskirts of EUA Pasir Ris and away from the current battlefield, Andrew was piloting a TMF/A-802 BuCUE alongside Jean, in his MBF-M1 Astray Jean Carry Custom, Canard in his newly upgraded YMF-X000A/H Dreadnought H and Mikhail in his ZGMF-1017M GINN High Maneuver Type. **"DaCosta, any signs of any loyalist or OMNI forces in the area?"  
**

**"I don't have any signs of - Wait a minute! Oh my god! Sir, enemy forces are in the area!"**

**"All right! Loyalist and probably OMNI forces are in the area!" **Andy channeled a radio message to Jean, Canard and Mikhail simultaneously.

**"Forget it, Andy!" **yelled Jean from his Astray Jean Carry Custom mobile suit. **"Here they come!" **Eyeing a combined Loyalist-OMNI mobile suit squad approaching with OMNI Linear Tanks and Loyalist ST Kinetic Bionix-2 Tanks, he blasted at the loyalist Strike and Buster Daggers with his Type 71 beam rifle from a distance while blocking incoming beam shots with his shield.

**"You scum of the Earth!" **snarled Mikhail, having an evil laugh with his MA-M3 heavy sword at the ready. **"I'm going to make sure that you're all gone to cure this country of you people!" **Grabbing a surprised Duel Dagger by holding on its head, he drove the MA-M3 sword all the way until the tip of the blade portruded out of the Dagger's rear. Hearing some electric wires shorten out, he drew out the weapon and kicked towards a number of loyalist and OMNI Strike Daggers, blowing them up in an explosion that took most of the Strike Daggers out.

"Why you!" Dodging beam saber swipes from two Primuses, Canard activated the Dreadnought H's Armure Lumiere defensive barrier. Creating a barrier that covered his mobile suit, he jumped back after deactivating it before he fired his RFW-99 Zastava Stigmate beam submachine gun at them, eliminating the two mobile suits. Eyeing the Linear and Bionix-2 tanks on the ground, he aimed the muzzle of his submachine gun at them before he had to reload his weapon. _More enemies approaching! _Noticing a group of loyalist Buster and Long Daggers coming near him, he activated the Dreadnought's Buster Mode in order to have its beam cannons ready to fire at his adversaries.

"Take this!" Firing the beam cannons, a couple of Buster Daggers, Long Daggers and an unfortunate Primus had its right arm destroyed from the beam fire. Eyeing the surviving Primus, Canard dashed towards it and lunged at it before using the RBW Type 7001 "Romteknica" beam knife attacked on his beam submachine gun to stab the Primus at its cockpit. Retracting the beam knife hastily, the Primus was then caught in a fiery explosion that took it out of commission.

At the controls of his BuCUE, Andy engaged with two Dagger Ls armed with M703K beam carbine rifles. Using the BuCUE's double-edged beam saber, he sliced both of their legs off with great manueverability in its quadrupled mode. Effectively crippling them, he ran a short distance from the two downed mobile suits before he unleashed a volley of 400 mm missiles from its missile launcher mounted from the BuCUE's back.

**"That oughta take care of them." **Andy grinned under his helmet after watching the launched 400 mm missiles make short and quick work out of the disabled mobile suits.

**"Are you all right?" **Canard's face came on Andy's monitor.

**"Don't worry about me, youngster. Just make sure you do your job." **nodded Andy. He chuckled when he swore he saw Canard mumble something about being called a youngster before the former ended his visual connection with him.

* * *

_Why do I have a bad feeling that someone's about to attack me?_

Looking around an area that had been recently been cleared of both loyalist and rebel forces, Rick moved his Secundus around while eyeing the discarded mobile weapons including destroyed mobile suits, tanks and IFV (Infantry Fighting Vehicle)s. He swept the outskirts of a nearby forest with his ML-1 beam rifle and eyed the radar on his cockpit; he moved way too far from the battlefield. "Damn, I'm too vulnerable to be all alone out here." whispered the NSF rebel, a bit worried on his position.

Rick suddenly felt someone tingle in his head. _Someone's here. _He tried to glance behind him, using his mobile suit to eye his rear. _And I think it's coming from the..._

Quickly turning around, he fired a volley from his ML-1 beam rifle. Watching the orange beam blasts make contact with the green beam blasts, the two simultaneously vanished into thin air in a small explosion.

**"Nice!" **Someone said on Rick's radio. **"Normally, pilots would have been too slow to see someone react in time to get out of the way. But it appears you were able to get rid of my beam shots."**

Rick then saw a Dagger configured in an Aile Striker Pack, charging towards him with its ES01 beam saber on the Dagger's left hand after storing the M703 beam rifle at its rear with the shield on its left hand. Rick then stored his ML-1 beam rifle on its rear and drew out his Kris beam saber from the Secundus' right shoulder and tried to stab him, but missed. _Not him, but he has the same level of awareness as I did a while ago._

**"Crikey!" **grunted Rick, using its Hindalco anti-beam shield in time to block the attack.

**"Name's Chevalier." **introduced the pilot of the lone dagger. **"Morgan Chevalier."**

**"Okay you James Bond wannabe!" **Rick tried to slash at Morgan's Dagger, but the latter blocked it with his ES01 beam saber. **"That's as far as you can go!" **With that, he shoved the Dagger after winning the beam saber clash when Rick swiped his beam saber upward, causing Morgan to loose his balance.

**"Morgan!" **yelled a female voice from Rick's radio. Nearby, a Buster Dagger used a combined 350 mm gun launcher and 94 mm high-energy rifle to fire pot shots at Rick. Sensing the incoming projectiles, Rick nimbly dodged it after using the Secundus' thrusters to help him avoid being hit by them.

**"Miss me, woman!" **taunted Rick, watching the Buster Dagger store the 350 mm gun launcher and 94 mm high-energy rifle after decombining them before it lunged at him with dual ES01 beam sabers. _Looks like this tingling sense of mine is a blessing after all._

"Woah!" Rick couldn't believe that he was fighting against a mobile suit that wielded two beam sabers. He then prepared his shield up to block any incoming beam saber attacks. "This is tough!"

**"My name's Rena Imelia, you rebel scum!" **sneered the Buster Dagger's pilot, using the ES01 beam saber on its left hand to slash at Rick's Secundus. **"Don't you forget it!"**

**"Of course not, onna (woman)!" **Thanks to his Hindalco anti-beam shield, he blocked every beam saber swipe at him from the ES01 beam sabers that Rena's Buster Dagger used.

_Dammit! _Rick tried to figure out his next strategy as he kept using his anti-beam shield to block the beam saber blows meant for him. _If I don't do something, I'll be dead in a few minutes..._

When Rena raised her right ES01 beam saber upward to score a vertical swipe, Rick used his shield to block a hit from the left ES01 beam saber before performing a head butt on the Buster Dagger, causing it to fall down on its back.

**"Gotcha, girlie!" **Standing near Rena's Buster Dagger, he was about to deliver the final blow by stabbing it with his beam saber when he came under attack by Morgan's Dagger, firing its Igelstellung II 40 mm CIWS at him, and another mobile suit.

_Kuso (Dammit!)! _Rick took the brunt of blocking a stab attack coming from unknown mobile suit's giant trident with its anti-beam shield after moving left and right to dodge the 40 mm bullets. _Better check if our contacts gave us info on these mobile suits. _Minutes later, Rick was able to identify the third enemy mobile suit.

"The GAT-706S Deep Forbidden." murmured Rick, glancing momentarily at the side monitor before raising his shield to block another incoming stab attack from its trident. From behind the Deep Forbidden, Rick observed Morgan's Dagger helping Rena's Buster Dagger stand up.

**"You better listen and listen good!" **The voice of the Deep Forbidden's pilot was now on Rick's radio. **"I'm Jane Houston and I'll be the one to send you to your maker!"**

Dashing back, Rick used his ML-1 beam rifle to fire at Deep Forbidden, but his beam shots missed as its Geschmeidig Panzer energy deflection armor had automatically blocked its shots from its shield pods.

**"Noel!" **Rick patched up a radio link with her back at EUA Pasir Ris. **"Does Deep Forbidden have a weak spot that I can take advantage of?"**

**"Not as of now." **replied Noel, ending it by swallowing her saliva. Rick had heard it, meaning it was not good. **"The Deep Forbidden's known to have energy deflection armor, just like the GAT-X252 Forbidden that OMNI used to invade Orban soil."**

**"What?" **Rick didn't like what he heard from Noel. **"So what do I have to do about this?"**

Natarle's voice came in on Rick's radio. **"Rick. Listen to me. The Deep Forbidden fights quite similarly to the original Forbidden. I remember someone got rid of Forbidden by letting him finish off his mobile suit's energy before wiping it out."**

**"I wonder who it was?" **Rick couldn't believe that two mobile weapon tacticians don't have a slight idea to how he could disable the Deep Forbidden. "Better concentrate on that later." _I can't just run around and wait for it to exhaust itself. I might run out of power too._

Eyeing his opponent, Rick charged forward using his thrusters for additional speed and used his anti-beam shield as protection from Deep Forbidden's trident. _Better improvise. _When Rick was able to get close to Deep Forbidden, he used the shield as a melee weapon by striking it at its body.

"You damn rebel!" gritted Jane, forcing herself to let Deep Forbidden move a few steps backward. _I have to admit, he's good._

"An opening!" yelled Rick, executing a punch at Deep Forbidden's chest. "Now to..." As Rick was about to use the Kris beam saber that he drew out, he mysteriously sensed someone else's presence besides Morgan's

_Damn it! Someone else's here! _Rick kicked Deep Forbidden away and hastily stored his beam saber. Drawing out his ML-1 beam rifle, he fired a few shots before he saw the purple mobile suit, charging at him from the air, dodge his beam shots and try to hack his weapon with its ES04B beam saber in hand. Rick sidestepped to dodge the beam slash and used the Secundus' left metallic palm to disorient him.

_It's him. _Neo eyed the lone Secundus carefully when he eyed the main monitor from the holes of his mask. _He has the same sense as me._

"Shit!" He drew out his Kris beam saber again, this time from the Secundus' left shoulder, and stored his ML-1 beam rifle after jumping back away from it. **"Hey, does anyone know this mobile suit?"**

**"Rick." **Noel's voice came on. **"I got fresh information that it's a GAT-04 Windam. It's not in production yet, so it's most likely a prototype."**

**"Nice of you to sense my approach!" **Neo attempted to swipe at Rick's Secundus with the ES04B beam saber at the ready after being able to get to Rick's frequency after landing on the ground. **"Usually someone would have been dead if he reacted too late. But it seems you were able to find out where I was going to attack."**

**"I'll have to thank my sixth sense for that!" **Lunging at the Windam with his beam saber, Rick tried to do a stab maneuver when Neo quickly block it and countered with a beam slash. Likewise, Rick blocked it and countered again. The same pattern was going on for a few minutes. Morgan, Rena and Jane could watch with amazement.

"Amazing." Morgan saw the fight going on between them. "Does that rebel have the same sense as Captain Neo and I do?"

**"Rena," **Jane established communication with Rena. **"You think we should help Captain Neo?"**

**"I don't know." **Rena replied. **"I'm just as confused as you are."**

**"Allow me to introduce myself." **grinned Neo, dodging every beam saber slash that Rick tried to do before blocking the last one with his A52 offensive shield before striking the Secundus' left arm.

**"My name's Roanoke!" **Neo fired the Windam's M2M5 "Todesschrecken" 12.5 mm CIWs at Rick after getting airborne before firing the Mk1323 rockets at him. **"Neo Roanoke!"**

_I heard about him. _Rick watched Neo landed his Windam near him, raising his beam saber to strike him. _Intel says that he's a recent OMNI officer, said to be from the Atlantic._

**"Tell me yours!" **Neo, holding his ES04 beam saber, attempted to slash him when Rick parried the move with his Kris beam saber, predicting its strike again.

**"My friends and family call me Rick, but you don't have the same privilege as they do!" **Rick clashed beam sabers with Neo's after the latter blocked the former's attempt to strike him; the two then engaged in a beam saber clash.

**"The name's Richard Yamato Chung." **Rick gritted at his new opponent. **"And it's not a real pleasure to meet you!" **The EURM Guardsman budged his beam saber to strike Neo. So far, Neo had kept his guard up and kept the beam saber clash to a standstill.

**"Oh." **grinned the masked man. **"But it is a pleasure to meet you."**

**"You won't be when I through with you!"**

Neo could only grin at him even more. **"Then so be it."**

Chapter 12 END


	13. The Mercenaries, Part 5

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED/Kidou Senshi Gundam SEED: Rebellion

By: Ominae

Rating: T

NOTE:

Concept of the Gundam SEED series are under the copyright of Mitsuo Fukuda, Bandai and Sunrise. Cameo appearances of characters from Mobile Suit Gundam: Lost War Chronicles are under the copyright of Bandai Games, Masato Natsumoto and Tomohiro Chiba. Cameo appearance of Sophia DiFalco and other elements of Birds of a Feather are a courtesy from Solid Shark. All other characters and technology (weapons, vehicles) are under my jurisdiction, with some exceptions.

Summary:

With the EURM-held EUA Pasir Ris under attack by a joint OMNI-Equatorial Union military taskforce, both EURM rebel soldiers and its mercenary allies spring into action in order to hold off the attack. The mysterous Neo Roanoke makes his combat debut, fighting alongside his OMNI subordinates to crush the rebellion before it gets out of control? Can Rick, his EURM comrades and their mercenary allies get rid of the invasion force? Will Neo be able to get rid of Rick once and for all? Stay tune to this chapter to find out.

Chapter 13: The Mercenaries, Part 5

Somewhere in the outskirts of EUA Pasir Ris, Singapore, Equatorial Union

Neo's Windam and Rick's Secundus were busy exchanging beam saber blows with one another, using their spatial awareness to predict where the next saber strike would take place. As for Morgan and the others, they were busy supporting OMNI forces in raiding EUA Pasir Ris, but were held back by artillery pieces and the mercenary forces.

**"Not bad for a rebel Guardsman such as yourself!" **Neo taunted Rick before executing a beam saber slash over his head. Rick, having detecting the attempt with his mind, raised his Kris beam saber and blocked Neo's blow.

**"I don't need words of praise from an OMNI aggressor such as you!" **snarled Rick, doing a shoulder tackle after he successfully blocked the beam saber attack from Neo himself.

**"An aggressor?" **Neo chuckled like Rick was telling a lie. **"From my point of view, you're the one who's the aggressor around here!"**

**"You OMNI bastard!" **The two mobile suit pilots clashed their beam sabers after Neo executed a horizontal beam saber slash and Rick doing a vertical beam saber slash, leading to another standstill.

_Damn! Can't budge this rebel! _Neo gritted his teeth, trying to gain an advantage with his Windam prototype over Rick's Secundus.

_He's different! _Rick was impressed with Neo's mobile suit combat abilities. _He could evade and counter my attacks! I wonder if he had the spatial awareness for years?_

**"Captain Roanoke!" **When Neo checked his monitors, he saw three GAT-01A2R Slaughter Daggers approaching his position.

**"Gotcha!" **Rick, seeing that Neo was a bit distracted by the arrival of the three additional mobile suits, won the beam saber clash by shoving the Windam with the Secundus' right shoulder when he got the upper hand after he exerted a little more strength in pushing his beam saber toward Neo's.

**"Captain!"**

The leading Slaughter Dagger engaged the Secundus in combat by drawing out its ES01 beam saber. **"Name's Sham Coza, pal! And you're going to get some real punishment from me!"**

_Damn! _Rick raised his Hindalco anti-beam shield in time to dodge the beam saber slash, countering him by executing a beam slash also. _Where did these guys come from?_

**"Here's help, Shams." **Another Slaughter Dagger provided tactical support by firing its MX703 beam rifle. The pilot then introduced herself to Rick, **"Name's Mudie Holcroft, rebel. Just surrender while you still can."**

Rick decided to put some humor into his situation. **"Say, aren't you related to the late H.P. Lovecraft? You know, the guy who did novels regarding the Deep Ones and such?"**

**"Don't mock me!" **Mudie, now pissed off, charged to attack Rick. She operated the Slaughter Dagger's right arm to draw out one of her ES01 beam sabers. **"You'll be good when you dead, you Spacenoid!"**

**"I ain't a spacenoid! I'm from Earth, you freaking racist!" **Using the Secundus' thrusters to jump in the air, Rick executed a jumping kick. Targeting the center of Mudie's Slaughter Dagger, he kicked the cockpit area with its left foot from mid-air.

"Urgh!" grunted Mudie, falling on the ground. Shams went out to assist Mudie to get up after she fell down from taking the flying kick from Rick.

**"Mudie!" **yelled the third Slaughter Dagger pilot. **"Shams, take cover with her."**

**"Right." **responded Shams, taking Mudie to safety while the third Slaughter Dagger drew out its own ES01 beam saber.

_Not another one! I'm getting tired of these grunts! _Rick began to engage the third Slaughter Dagger in action.

**"Let me introduce myself, you rebel." **The Slaughter Dagger pilot gritted under his pilot helmet. **"I'm Sven Cal Bayan of Phantom Pain and I'll be your executioner for the day."**

**"Phantom Pain?" **Rick did not believe who was assisting the loyalist forces. **"Dammit, so the government had resorted to Phantom Pain. I wonder if you OMNI people are ready for another Vietnam-style battle."**

**"Before this day ends, I'll be through with you once and for all." **Sven raised his MX703 beam rifle after sheathing his ES01 beam saber. **"Die, Coordinator!"**

Using his senses, Rick blocked most of the shots with his beam shield and in fact, used his ML-1 beam rifle to counter the beam shots by firing a burst from his beam rifle, neutralizing the incoming beam shots from the MX703 beam rifle.

_He somehow reminds me of Captain Roanoke... _Sven decided to holster his MX703 beam rifle and drew out another ES01 beam saber again.

**"You die instead, you OMNI racist!" **Getting back on the offensive, Rick slammed his Kris beam saber right on Sven's beam shield that his mobile suit nearly collapsed if he didn't exert any effort to resist the pressure that Rick had exerted. _Besides, where'd Neo head off to this time? Is he... Wait! He's nearby!_

Sven gritted his teeth, allowing his shield to block another beam slash attack that followed by a tackle. _Someone had better give me a hand at once._

**"Did you miss me, Rick?" **Neo laughed when he prepared to divebomb Rick from the air, his Jet Striker Pack still mounted on his Windam. He prepared to attack him by unleashing beam fire from his M9409L beam rifle.

_If I don't do something, I'll be dead soon... _

Rick continued to remain on the defensive, using his Hindalco beam shield to block incoming beam shots and sheathed his beam saber before he drew out his ML-1 beam rifle to neutralize other incoming beam shots.

* * *

Back in the main battlefield, other mercenaries were continuing their battle to hold off an invasion force with an OMNI-Equatorial Union military contingent. Both man and mobile suit were facing each other in order to get a victory for their own party.

**"Hey, Ed!" **Barry yelled at Edward over his radio comm from the cockpit of his MBF-M1A M1A Astray while taking aim at loyalist Primus and Long Daggers with his Type 71-44 Kai sniper rifle. **"You still alive?"**

**"Don't worry about me, Barry!" **Edward assured Barry, using his GAT-333 Raider Full Spec in mobile armor mode. **"I heard reports that the government's going to send in 3 aces to aid the OMNI forces coming in." **Targeting an obsolete ST Kinetics Bionix-2 IFV, he fired a single AIM-957F King Cobra missile that out the lone IFV out even if it fired its 25 mm cannon at him from the ground.

"Miss me, punk!" Edward taunted the destroyed IFV before changing to the Raider Full Spec's mobile suit mode.

Nearby, Heine and Shiho were supporting EURM soldiers and mercenaries on the ground. Heine had his ZGMF-600 GuAIZ with Shiho in her YFX-200 CGUE DEEP Arms.

**"Well, well." **Heine grinned when he saw the prototype CGUE mobile suit. **"I never expected that you'd take the DEEP Arms into battle."**

**"Just so happened that I found my old mobile suit in one of the warehouses gathering up dust." **Shiho shrugged. **"Thought I could still use it in this civil war."**

**"All right..." **Heine went to concentrate on the battle ahead. **"Here they come!"**

**"Go Heine!"**

Assisting the ground forces, Heine charged to an incoming loyalist Strike Dagger and lunged at it with the dual beam claws that he drew out from his MA-MV03 composite shield. Stabbing it completely, he positioned the downed Strike Dagger in front of him and fired his MA-M12G beam rifle at OMNI Strike Daggers, Daggers and Buster Daggers. The opposing mobile suits fired at Heine's GuAIZ, only for some CIWS bullets to hit the mobile suit while incoming machine gun and beam rifle shots missed. The FAITH agent was lucky that he managed to remember disabling the mobile suit completely or it would have exploded.

"Thanks for being a shield, friend." grinned Heine, dislodging its beam claws from the Strike Dagger. After it fell to the ground, Heine moved his GuAIZ back and fired his MA-M12G beam rifle at it, which exploded in flames.

Nearby, Shiho provided mobile artillery support to EURM and mercenary ground forces with her DEEP Arms' JDP8-MSY0270 thermal energy cannons. She fired at an alternate pace by firing the left energy cannon and letting it overheat a bit before using the mobile suit's right energy cannon.

_How long can I hold here? _Noting her left energy cannon was already overheat, Shiho switched firing controls to the right energy cannon, bombarding enemy mobile suits, armored vehicles and infantry alike.

Seeing approaching OMNI Daggers, in Aile Striker configurations, and loyalist Primus, Long and Duel Daggers, Shiho disengaged her cannons and drew out her NOL-Y941 heavy laser sword, brandishing it for battle.

"Do you people want to die so badly?" Shiho gritted her teeth. "All right, then die!"

Yuki, filming from the roof of the main building in EUA Pasir Ris, witnessed Shiho's CGUE DEEP Arms slashing through OMNI and Loyalist mobile suits with her NOL-Y941 laser sword, which sliced them into pieces before the mobile suits blew up. She and her cameraman were in awe by the way of her attack.

The reporter and cameraman wore kevlar vests, with the words PRESS inscribed at the back, and kevlar helmets as a necessary precaution.

* * *

_I just hate it when my luck's playing against me!_

Currently clashing with Neo's Windam, Rick engaged the mysterious man into combat with only their beam sabers and anti-beam shields to protect them.

_I have to get some help! _Desperate to send out a radio transmission, he radioed the base to get some help.

**"Anyone out there? I need some help."**

**"Are you all right?" **The voice of a young girl was heard on the radio.

**"Who is this?" **Rick raised an eyebrow, eyeing the Windam about to do a horizontal slash with its beam saber.

**"I'm Meyrin Hawke. Noel's not here right now; she's assisting Ms. Badgiruel as of now."**

_A ZAFT military academy student fighting in our civil war? No time to ponder that now! _**"All right, Meyrin. Can you send a transmission to all friendly units to send some backup. I'm in a dire need and I could use all the help I could get."**

**"Understood, um..." **Meyrin got his message, but wanted to get his name.

**"Rick. Rick Chung." **said Rick, needing to get back to fighting the enemy instead of engaging in a radio conversation with Meyrin. **"Rick, out."**

**"Dammit! Take this!" **Rick dashed to the Windam and used his Secundus to unleash a tackle, making the Windam fall to the ground.

**"Uwah!" **Neo didn't like the disadvantage that he was facing right now as he was vulnerable on the ground. Seeing Rick approach his downed mobile suit, he used his radio to send out an emergency message.

**"This is Captain Roanoke! I'm down! I repeat, I'm down. Send some backup over here!"**

Ending his transmission, Neo struggled to get the M9409L beam rifle that fell out of his hand. Using the Windam's right hand, Neo was about to grab it when Rick was alerted to his struggle.

**"Don't bother, Neo!" **Being quick on the draw thanks to his spatial awareness, he quickly fired his 40 mm CIWS to destroy the dropped beam rifle, rendering it full of giant bullet holes. **"I'll make sure you have a short and painless death."**

_This can't be the end! _Neo watched as Rick drew out his Kris beam saber, raising it to stab him when he eyed Jane's Deep Forbidden tackling him from the side.

* * *

"Looks like we got a signal from the base."

Kaite checked the controls of his Skygrasper, noticing that a message has been received. "Hey, Kestrel! What did the people back at the base say?"

"Got a distress signal from Rick himself. He says that he needs backup." Sophia said, receiving the transmission from the navigator's seat. Looking outside, she saw a small number of GINNs, Edward's Raider Full Spec and Barry's M1A Astray heading out to reinforce Rick's known position with 2 other Secundus prototype mobile suits supporting them. One Secundus had a PT Pindad PM1 ground rocket launcher with the other handling the PT Pindad SR-1 beam sniper rifle. _I do hope he's okay._

* * *

_Dammit! More company!  
_

The radar in Rick's Secundus cockpit had detected three blips, indicating hostile mobile suits approaching. Looking at the main monitor while clashing with Morgan's beam saber, he saw three Primuses running straight for him while drawing out their Kris beam saber simultaneously.

_Three Primuses in black and gray colors! Where have I seen them before?_

Rick's eyes opened wide when he realized who they were.

_Unless if I'm dreaming, those guys were veterans of the Eurasian Foreign Legion. Ken Bederstadt, Garsky Ayrault and Jake Clinton are here. Did Malaysia get these guys to finish us off? _

Kicking the shin's of Morgan's Dagger, Rick found himself fighting with Jane's Deep Forbidden. Holstering his beam saber, he drew out his custom-made Dao sword and clashed again with Jane's trident.

"Dammit! Ken and the others are coming to finish me off! Unless help's coming, then I'll be finished in the battlefield..."

Managing to glance at his monitors again, he noted that reinforcement had arrived in the form of several GINNs, Edward's Raider Full Spec and Kaite's personal Skygrasper. _Maybe this battle could turn well in our advantage..._

* * *

"Better give a hand out here!" yelled Kaite to his navigator. "Hey Kestrel! Do we have a clear to bomb that mobile suit attacking Rick?"

"We do!" acknowledged Sophia. "We can divebomb it, though we could give Rick's Secundus minor damage or simply machinegun the Deep Forbidden."

"All righty!" Locking onto the Deep Forbidden, he fired his Skygrasper's beam cannon at it. But unfortunately for him, the Deep Forbidden's energy deflection armor had deflected it away.

"Dammit!" cursed Kaite, flying overhead and trying to swing the aircraft around to try another sortie when his radar had detected loyalist F-7D Spearhead and VTOL aircrafts.

"Better take care of the flies flying around first!" alerted Sophia, noting the incoming fighters.

"Okay!" Giving a thumbs up, he flew towards the incoming Spearhead and VTOL fighter squadrons. Locking onto his targets, Kaite fired the beam cannon, which downed some Spearheads and a couple of VTOL fighters.

On the ground nearby, three GINNs painted in black with a regular GINN were engaged with Neo's elites alongside Edward's Raider Full Spec. Morgan and the others had been ordered by Neo to engage the newcomers while he would stay back and engage Rick himself.

"Why you!" Lunamaria in her own GINN unit had engaged Jane's Deep Forbidden by clashing her MA-M3 heavy sword with Deep Forbidden's trident. "Don't take me so lightly on me 'cause I'm just a teenaged girl!" Seeing that her opponent would win, Lunamaria simply gave the Deep Forbidden a shoulder tackle.

"This is quite a challenge." Hilda fought with Morgan from her own black GINN, fighting to hold her opponent with her MA-M3 heavy sword while Morgan had his ES01 beam saber out. **"Either my eyes are deceiving me or I'm fighting Morgan Chevalier!"**

**"Quite impressive, Hilda Harken!" **grinned Morgan, attempting a beam slash. **"I never expected you to be in the battlefield."**

**"Neither did I!" **Hilda thrusted her MA-M3 heavy sword, but was met by Morgan's Dagger shield. **"Are you fighting with the government?"**

**"I'm just following orders, Hilda." **Doing a vertical beam slash, Hilda dodged by moving her GINN out of the way while quickly holstering her MA-M3 sword and drawing out her MMI-M8A3 machine gun at him. Morgan, thanks to his spatial awareness, used his shield to temporarily daze before attempting to finsh her off.

_Right! Now that she's dazed, I could... _Morgan sensed something was wrong. Looking at his right, he noted missiles flying straight for him. Jumping a short distance back, the said projectiles landed a short feet away near his new position.

**"Don't take your mind off the battlefied, you idiot!" **yelled Edward, transforming his Raider Full Spec from mobile armor to mobile suit mode.

**"Ah, Edward Harrelson!" **grinned Morgan. **"As you may know, the OMNI military police has issued an arrest warrant for you on charges of deserting the Atlantic Federation military." **He then charged towards Edward's Raider Full Spec, beam saber at the ready. **"In addition, you're also being charged with stolen military equipment."**

**"Hah!" **shouted Edward, using his M20 20 mm machine guns at the Jachin Due veteran. **"I'm not gonna hand myself to those occupiers! I'm here to help a fellow nation free itself from the influences of OMNI!"**

**"I see." **Morgan cringed, watching 20 mm bullets fly overhead. **"Then prepare yourself!" **Morgan kept his beam saber before engaging Edward in a fist fight between their two mobile suits.

**"Hey Mars! You okay?" **yelled Herbert, using his own black GINN in engaging Rena's Buster Dagger in combat. **"I think I need a hand here!" **Herbert fired his M68 "Cattus" 500 mm recoilless rifle at his approaching enemy. Rena dodged them with ease and used her combined 350 mm gun launcher and 94 mm high-energy rifle to retaliate. Herbert, being a Jachin Due veteran, dodged her shots and instead, blew up a loyalist Strike and Long Dagger into pieces.

**"Shit!" **Rena pounded her controls, cursing herself for missing the shots. When she looked at her main monitor, she was alarmed to see a shot from Herbert's M68 "Cattus" disabled the end of her 94 mm high-energy rifle, forcing her to decombine them together before the entire weapon exploded.

**"Nah!" **assured Mars. **"I think you should be fine out there." **Mars chose to face the incoming Primuses, alongside Lunamaria with an arriving Heine.

**"Luna, are you alright?" **asked Heine, before raising an eyebrow. **"I thought you were engaged by an enemy mobile suit?"**

**"Someone else is taking care of it." **answered Lunamaria. **"But that's not important. We got three new enemies coming in on us!"**

**"Right!" **Heine nodded. When the three Primuses were in combat range, one of them opened fire by using its PT Pindad SR-1 beam sniper rifle in order to scatter them. Once that was done, the second Primus drew out its beam saber and lunged at Heine's GuAIZ. The third and final Primus, lagging a bit behind, fired its PT Pindad 100 mm PM1 ground rocket launcher, nearly hitting Lunamaria's GINN.

**"Jake, Garsky!" **yelled Ken from the cockpit of his Primus. **"Keep the two GINNs busy! I'm heading straight for this one!" **

**"Got it, Ken!" **said the two in unison. Jake went to attack Mars, forcing the latter to keep firing his M68 at him until ammo ran out. When it happened, he used the recoiless rifle as a club and swinged it at him, toppling Jake's Primus to the ground. Jake retaliated by firing the MK-1 40 mm CIWS at Mars, forcing to move back. His constant firing of his CIWS enabled Jake to get some time needed to stand up.

Garsky, on the other hand, went head-to-head with Lunamaria himself. **"Looky here. It's a shame that GINN of yours doesn't have a beam weapon!" **Giving an evil laugh, Garsky drew out his FERFRANS ML-1 beam rifle and fired off some beam rounds at her.

"Damn! He's right!" Lunamaria had tried to dodge some of the beam shots, but one had lodged off a piece of the GINN's right shoulder. Surprisingly, it was still functioning.

"Take this!" Aiming the missile of her GINN's M68 Pardus missile launchers, Lunamaria fired the missile from the Pardus mounted on the left leg at Garsky. Using his ML-1 beam rifle, he fired off a volley of rounds that neutralized the missiles. It, however, exploded near Garsky's Primus and shook him a bit.

"Maybe firing the ML-1 near the missiles was such a bad idea!" Covered by the white smoke that came from the detonated missiles, Garsky didn't know what to do next until he saw Lunamaria's GINN in front of him, using the smoke as cover with her MA-M3 sword at the ready.

"Aaahhh!" Surprising her opponent, Lunamaria hacked the foregrip of Garsky's ML-1, taking the barrel with it.

"I don't believe this!" Surprised as well, Garsky was about to get his beam saber ready when Lunamaria used the same weapon to disable the right arm of Garsky's Primus by slicing it off. Before she could destroy her opponent, gunfire came from Morgan's Dagger when he fired his M703 beam rifle at her, forcing Lunamaria to get away.

"Better get out of here!" Immediately leaving her downed opponent, she went forward to assist Mars in fighting off his own opponent.

Ken, seeing that his opponent was good after a series of melee attacks, broke off and decided to target a particular mobile suit.

The lone Secundus unit that was currently being surrounded by regular OMNI mobile suits.

* * *

Rick was now cornered by several OMNI mobile suits, such as Strike Daggers, Buster Daggers and Daggers after Neo gave his orders for them to attack the rebel soldier while he joined up with Morgan in attack Edward since he had received specific orders to capture or kill Edward since he was a known defector in the ranks of OMNI.

_More and more of these OMNI fools are coming! And with loyalist mobile suits coming in too, it's taking a toll! _Rick was feeling frustrated with the wave of enemies coming in either to attack the isolated EURM and mercenary mobile suits or attack the EURM-held EUA Pasir Ris.

Using his beam shield to deflect a strike from one of the OMNI Strike Daggers, he stabbed it with his own saber before parrying another beam saber attack from a Dagger, slicing its left arm off before slicing the entire mobile suit in half, resulting in an explosion.

_Someone's behind me! _Sensing his opponent was about to fire a projectiled weapon, he moved swiftly to his left and watched as the projectile from a Buster Dagger's combined 350 mm gun launcher and 94 mm high-energy rifle destroyed a Strike Dagger that tried to draw out its own ES01 beam saber.

_What's this? I feel something's burning from inside me. I feel like I want to voice out my frustration, but how?_

Watching a Dagger L trying to aim the barrel of its M703 beam carbine at him, he dashed nearby with the helps of his Secundus' vernier thruster and grabbed the lone mobile suit's right arm. He then forced it to drop its weapon by twisting its right arm just enough to make the Dagger L let go of his beam weapon. Managing to pick it up, Rick gripped it tightly and unloaded some beam rounds at the Dagger L, disabling it permanently before letting it go. Afterwards, he fired his MK-1 CIWS to make sure it was destroyed for good.

"Damn! Not you!" Rick saw the leading black and gray Primus charged at him and quickly had his beam saber ready for a thrust attack. Rick sensed him from a distance and drew out his beam saber hastily in order to counter it by executing a horizontal swing that threw the Primus' aim off.

**"If I'm right, this Secundus prototype is being piloted by Richard Yamato Chung, am I right?" **The voice was very familiar to Rick. With the Primus preparing to execute a horizontal beam swipe, Rick pulled his Secundus back and got his beam saber out at the ready.

**"So it's you, Ken Bederstadt." **hissed Rick. **"So the government did order you and your lackeys to accompany the OMNI murderers?"**

**"I've been given specific orders by the Defense Secretary to apprehend you and your comrades. Surrender and disable your unit at once!"**

**"Not a chance. Not while the rebellion's doing so well!" **The two lunged at each other and clashed beam saber. Disengaging from the beam saber, they tried again and again to strike a blow against their opponent. The only difference was that Rick was having the advantage thanks to his spatial awareness. With every beam saber blow, Rick was able to place Ken at the defensive, which was also advantageous for Rick.

_Now I got you! _Rick was ready to disable Ken's mobile suit by getting rid of its legs when a beam shot erupted from nowhere. Ken heard the weapon fire and moved back, watching the said beam blast the earth in front of him.

**"What the?" **Rick stared at the two Primuses, armed with a PT Pindad SR-1 beam sniper rifle and PM1 rocket launcher.

**"It's me, Hamid." **greeted the Secundus pilot armed with the beam sniper rifle. **"Tim and I were just in time to help you."**

**"You're not in time to help me!" **sermoned Rick. **"I was about to finish the War God off!"**

**"You mean Ken Bederstadt?" **Tim murmured, in horror after realizing who his opponent was.

**"If that's the case!" **Hamid gritted his teeth, aiming at Ken's Primus with the scope of his SR-1 beam sniper rifle. **"Then we'd better finish him off for good!"**

Rick watched as Ken broke out any attempt to attack him and went straight for Hamid, who panicked by firing beam shots at Ken with Tim firing two shots from his rocket launcher. Seeing the projectile approach him, Ken managed to evade them left and right.

_He's quick! _Hamid was infuriated at this, not being able to score a hit against Ken. But in minutes, Ken was closing the distance between them and in minutes, he had his beam saber ready to cut his mobile suit into two. Even Tim was amazed by how good Ken was in his Primus.

**"If you're not surrendering, then prepare to die!" **hissed Ken, who was about to execute the fatal blow on Hamid, his sniper rifle's barrel aiming inches away from the Primus' head, which would make the weapon unusable in that range.

"NOOOO!" Rick didn't bear to watch a comrade of his die under his watch. From the depths of his minds, something had emerged out of its dormancy.

A black seed appeared and broke into half. His eyes had black light instead of a pupil and iris in its place. Minutes later, he gave a loud warcry that was heard by Neo and the others on their radios. Moments later, he kept his beam saber and used his ML-1 beam rifle to fire a shot near Ken's Primus. Surprised by the sudden atttack, Hamid used his sniper rifle's shoulder stock as a club and clubbed the Primus on the head, sending it on the ground.

**"What are you waiting for?" **Neo barked at Morgan, Rena and Jane. **"Take care of him! He's vulnerable!"**

**"Yessir!" **said the three OMNI pilots in unison. The three of them began to run towards Rick, unaware of what was happening to him.

Seeing the three OMNI veterans approach him, Rick then drew out his custom Dao sword and swifly moved to her left side. He then hacked the trident into half when Jane tried to stab him.

"What?" Jane didn't know that her opponent had suddenly become more aggressive. "What's with him?"

"I don't know." Morgan gritted, pointing his M703 beam rifle at him. "Stand back Jane."

"You're wide open!" When he saw Morgan aiming his weapon, Rick drew out a single Armor Piercer combat knife from the Secundus' right hip and tossed it at him.

"Shit!" Morgan fired his beam rifle, only to find out that his weapon was made useless since the Armor Piercer forced the weapon to explode when the Armor Piercer's blade was inside the beam rifle's barrel. "He's gotten better all of a sudden." Minutes later, Rick charged at Morgan and used his Dao sword to slice off a bit of the Dagger's right arm before he made a gash on the mobile suit's neck portion.

"Take this!" Enraged, Rena combined her 94 mm high-energy rifle and 350 mm gun launcher and fired three shots at Rick. Rick sensed the shots and dodged left and right while picking up the Armor Piercer knife that he used to disable Morgan's M703 beam rifle.

"Miss me, woman!" Rick yelled, using his thrusters to guide him towards his targets while sheathing his giant Dao sword. Once near her, he drew out his beam saber and sliced the combined 94 mm high-energy rifle and 350 mm gun launcher in half, creating an explosion that temporarily blinded Rena. With the help of his senses, Rick moved away from the explosion and instead, used it as a smokescreen to chase after Neo's Windam.

_I can't underestimate my opponent! Not after what he did to three of my elite pilots! _Neo gritted his teeth, ready to fight him when he spotted Sven's unit charging at Rick from behind.

**"Captain!" **called Sven. **"We'll take care of him!"**

**"No, you fool!" **insisted Neo. **"Don't do it! He's not the same opponent that you've fought with a while ago!"**

**"Die, you monsters!" **Rick yelled and charged at Sven's Slaughter Dagger. However, Sham's Slaughter Dagger blocked his way and had his MX703G beam rifle ready to fire.

**"Don't come any closer!" **Shams fired a series of beam shots, which missed when Rick evaded them by using his shield to block them before crouching in front of him. **"What the hell is he doing?"**

Moving his Secundus to leap a bit, Rick performed a knee attack with the mobile suit's right metallic knee that struck Sham's unit by the chest.

"Urgh!" Shams gritted, not expecting Rick to perform such a move. Mudie's Slaughter Dagger reinforced him by drawing out an ES04 beam saber from Rick's left. Rick, however, sensed it when he felt a tingling vibration on his head. He countered Mudie's attack by striking her shield with enough force to daze her a bit before slicing her left leg off with his beam saber.

"Noo! My leg!" Mudie could only watch as her sensors indicated that her left leg was disabled. "Curse you!" Mudie cringed, banging her controls with her two clenched fists.

"Shams! Mudie!" Sven moved in, drawing out his own ES04 beam saber. Rick nimbly dodged his beam thrusts, as if reading his mind like a psychic, and countered it by parrying his beam saber with his. _What the hell happened? He suddenly fights like some elite pilot!_

Rick gritted his teeth and stared at his opponent through the black seed in his eyes. "Enough!" With that, Rick slashed Sven's Slaughter Dagger and lobbed off its head. Executing another slice, he lobbed off the right arm that held Sven's ES04 beam saber before executing a running kick.

Sven didn't like it that he was taken out of the battle. "Urahh!"

**"Jake! Garsky!"** Ken decided to concentrate on taking out Rick out of the battle for good. **"Take care of that Secundus out there! He's disabled six mobile suits so far!"**

**"Right!"** Rick eyed the two Primuses charging at him. He started by sidestepping Jake's Primus when it tried to stab him with his beam saber. Using the Armor Piercer that he picked up earlier, Rick stabbed the Primus' left arm that held the beam saber before tripping him with his left foot.

"Crap!" yelled Jake, sensor alerting to the status of his left arm. "Damn knife cut the electrical support for the left arm! I can't move it!"

When he eyed Garsky's Primus, he noted that its right arm was cut off, giving him an easier advantage. Waiting for Garsky to try and attack him with a beam swipe, he jumped a bit enough for him to evade the attack before landing behind Garsky. Rick executed a tackle that took him by complete surprise, sending him to collapse on the ground.

"What the?" Garsky gasped. "I didn't see that coming!"

Witnessing what Rick did to the other mobile suits, the OMNI mobile suit pilots didn't dare to interfere for fear of meeting the same predicament as what Morgan and the others had experienced.

**"You're next, Neo!" **Charging at the masked man like no tomorrow, Rick had his beam saber at the ready. Neo drew out his ES04 beam saber and charged at him as well, shouting at the top of his lungs.

**"If you want him, you better past me first!" **Rick blinked, not being able to stop his Secundus from running when he saw Garsky's Primus armed with a M703 beam rifle taken from a fallen Dagger in front of Neo. **"You better stay back, Captain Neo. I got him!"**

**"Idiot!" **shouted Neo. **"You're going to be dead in a matter of minutes!"**

**"Heh." **Rick smirked at him. **"Guess we're doing this the hard way!" **Deciding to improvise, Rick tossed his Hindalco beam shield at Garsky, temporarily dazing his Primus.

"What the?" Garsky said, a bit dizzy from the melee attack. "Can't seem to.. What the!"

Rick thrusted his beam saber into the center of Garsky's Primus, amazing his opponent and Neo.

"Hmm..." Neo murmured, able to get away from the attack. "He seemed to be different after he shouted back then. Looks like the CIA reports were right; I mustn't underestimate him."

"Ken! Jake!" Garsky shouted, watching the beam from Rick's beam saber penetrate further into the mobile suit with the beam blade protruding through at the back of Garsky's Primus before it shortened. Drawing his beam saber out, Rick watched his opponent with emotionless pity as the disabled mobile suit exploded in front of him.

"Garsky!" Ken yelled from his seat. Nearby, he saw signal flares fired into the sky.

_Retreat? _Looking at the flames coming from his comrade's downed mobile suit, Ken made contact with Neo and gritted his teeth before telling him their next course of action.

**"Captain Roanoke!" **

Ken huffed angrily, telling his ally the most hated thing that he didn't want to say at a time like this.

**"We have to retreat at once."**

Chapter 13 END

PS - I should stop here for a while. I have to keep my eye out on doing a couple of papers for my Geology and Political Science classes. As such, an update won't be seen for a few weeks. Hope you like this chapter. I think this is the longest chapter I ever made for this story.

References abound in this chapter. Can you see them? There are three. Hint: One of them had to do with the chapter titles for the past 4 chapters (CLUE: I think this should be easy. This is from a Gamecube/recent PS2 game that came out from Capcom). Another is with a move that Rick executed when he attacked Mudie for the first time. (CLUE: It's a Gundam UC anime. Figure out which series is it from.). Last one is someone's line from one of the character trailers in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance (CLUE: If you're a frequent VIP, you should know who it is I'm talking about).


	14. Tranquility

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED/Kidou Senshi Gundam SEED: Rebellion

By: Ominae

Rating: T

NOTE:

Concept of the Gundam SEED series are under the copyright of Mitsuo Fukuda, Bandai and Sunrise. Cameo appearances of characters from Mobile Suit Gundam: Lost War Chronicles are under the copyright of Bandai Games, Masato Natsumoto and Tomohiro Chiba. Cameo appearance of Sophia DiFalco and other elements of Birds of a Feather are a courtesy from Solid Shark. All other characters and technology (weapons, vehicles) are under my jurisdiction, with some exceptions.

Summary:

With victory at hand, the Equatorial Union military and its OMNI ally were driven back from invading EUA Pasir Ris, which served as one of the EURM's main bases in the revolt against the government. Now that Rick had personally led his EURM rebels to victory, what will happen next? Stay tune to this chapter to find out.

Chapter 14: Tranquility

Somewhere inside EUA Pasir Ris, Singapore, Equatorial Union

"Sato." reprimanded Gary. "I knew that it was dangerous to leave before the government attacked this base."

"Relax." grinned Sato. "Didn't you see that we were able to slip back in the base and fight with the other volunteers at the last minutes."

"Of course we did." huffed Gary. "It's only because we disguised ourselves as government soldiers and as EURM rebels." Gary then scratched his chin. "If you think about it, we have to thank our contact for that."

Sato agreed, "Yea." He then played with the data disk inside his pants pocket. "Now with the plans that we need to modify the PLANT flares, we can have our revenge against the Earth Alliance for our defeat in Jachin Due."

"Are we still going to fight?"

Sato then had a wicked smile.

"After a few more days, then we leave."

* * *

"I don't believe it..." Athrun whispered, watching the remaining Secundus mobile suits make their way back inside the base. "It's just like that time when I fought Kira back in the old days..."

"Athrun." Cagalli was beside him. "What happened?"

"That mobile suit." Athrun pointed it out to her. "He fought just like I did when I almost killed your brother."

"I see." Cagalli stared at Rick's Secundus as it continued to march towards the entrace of EUA Pasir Ris.

Back inside the camp, the mercenary volunteers were heavily exhausted from driving the government and OMNI forces away from the camp. Soon had laid down on the ground, others were drinking sodas and cold water in order to quench their thirst. But the common thing they all had was that they witnessed Rick's condition after his SEED was activated, only managing to kill a loyalist elite with his beam saber. Nevertheless, his actions brought much praise and much curiosity, especially to Andrew Waltfeld himself.

"I must say," Andy watched while the Secunduses were being placed in a secure spot near the other EURM mobile suits. "Rick sure acted like a berserker out there."

"Really?" Sophia, who was beside him, had her pilot helmet tucked beneath her arm. "Just like that time when Kira destroyed your LaGOWE in the Libyan desert a few months back."

"Yeah." Andy sighed, closing his eyes. "I'll never forget that event." _That event nearly killed me and Aisha. Last time I heard, she conducting a personal retreat back in Orb. Hope she's okay while I'm here..._

"Here they come!" shouted one of the many unknown volunteers who fought with loyalist and OMNI infantry hours ago, pointing his right index finger. The Secundus pilots dismounted from their cockpit and used linear cables to guide them back to the ground.

"Man, was I beat!" huffed Avir, removing his helmet. "Those loyalist grunts never knew what hit them."

"Same here." Luis cracked his knuckles before retracting his helmet's visors. "But the loyalist grunts aren't the ones who were a pain in the butt."

Davan grinned after he removed his helmet. "That was our first major test against the government aside from fighting small skirmishes against loyalist garrisons stationed in Singapore."

Tim yawned before he could get his helmet removed. "I'm tired. And after the loyalist and OMNI forces tried to pull at us..."

A few minutes later, Rick had touched the ground after his linear cable. After doing so, he removed his pilot helmet and used his gloved right hand to smooth out his hair.

"Nice work, Rick!" said his NSF comrades in unison.

"Nicely done." Major Bauer came forward with some of the other NSF Guardsmen that Rick had left behind in order to be pilots of the Secundus prototypes.

"Sir!" Rick and the other five Secundus pilots saluted the major, tucking their helmets underneath their left arm.

"Good work." Major Bauer saluted them as well. "You have my thanks," smiled the tired major. "but also the volunteers who assisted us throughout the entire battle. Without them, we wouldn't be able to get OMNI forces off this base."

"All in a day's work, Major Bauer." assured Rick, dropping his salute after being acknowledged.

"Well," Major Bauer looked around to see that most of the volunteers were mostly tired from fighting. "I'd let you guys rest for now. We've got a little ceremony to do." With that, he walked away to leave the NSF Guardsmen that accompanied him back to the command center.

"Jamie." Rick saw that the NSF conscript had a troubled look. "Something wrong?"

Jamie nodded. "During the fighting out there, some of the guys and I were able to disable a loyalist IFV."

"And?" Rick raised an eyebrow, he somehow didn't like the tone that Jamie was using to talk to him with.

"We found out that the commander of that loyalist IFV happens to be my cousin." murmured Jamie, feeling a bit ashamed to what he did.

_What does this remind me of? _Rick sighed a bit, thinking of a way to handle the situation. Then, he snapped his fingers.

"What did the major mention about this upcoming ceremony?" asked Rick.

Jamie scratched his head. "He did say we're just gonna have a simple ceremony to honor the fallen from our sides, including some of the deceased volunteers."

"Then it's settled." Rick patted Jamie's shoulder. "We'll have to honor them as well."

"Are you nuts?" Avir countered, not believing what he heard. "But they're from the government."

"Rick's right." Hamid defended Rick's suggestion. "Though they're our enemies, the least thing we can do not to provoke sentiment against our cause is to honor them. They fought against our beliefs, but they did it because of what they believed in."

"I'm not sure about that part, Hamid." Luis said, not a bit convinced. "But I definitely don't want any sentiment from the other countries that can hurt our cause."

"I would agree with Rick." Davan said to support Rick's proposal. "We better make sure that their bodies would be alright. Dehumanizing their corpses would set a bad record for us."

Rick, tired, stared at Yuki and Dave Graham, who was her cameraman when Rick had the chance to speak with Yuki a few days ago. He watched them film them before he decided to head back to the barracks and rest.

* * *

In the ceremonial rights to commemorate the deaths of EURM soldiers and mercenary volunteers, all surviving EURM personnel had assembled in the courtyard in a military fashion. Yuki Omura and cameraman were at the scene, filming the entire event as part of the Orb News Channel. Jess Rabble, on the other hand, was attending to his Astray Out Frame, leaving Miriallia to snap photos of the the ceremony with her camera. All EURM soldiers, all regulars, national servicemen and officers alike, were decked in their respective attire with the red armband on their left arm. Rick and his fellow NSF Guardsmen wore their red Equatorial Union Guards berets on. As a courtesy, the mercenary volunteers were also in accordance. Even Lowe Guele was in attendance, fixing his clothes at the last minutes even though he didn't have any proper clothing for the mass ceremony.

"Parade Rest!" yelled an EURM officer. In minutes, the EURM ranks moved to a parade rest position. Yuki got Dave to aim his video camera at them. Major Bauer, also dressed in Equatorial Union Guards attire, was in front of battalions of EURM soldiers while his back was behind the coffins of the deceased, which included the corpses of dead government and OMNI soldiers. Local sympathizers were able to procure them from the local funeral shops as a courtesy. The volunteers watched the ceremony nearby, but in close proximity. He was accompanied by General Kowen, who was wearing a formal Equatorial Union army dress uniform.

"I know that all of you are currently tired from the battle we had hours ago, facing the onslaught of both loyalist and OMNI forces that were about to take this base." began the major, addressing the EURM soldiers. "The reason why I called all of you here today is that we need a moment of silence. Just a while ago, I've received some reports from one of our Guardsmen that his own relative was killed in action while commandeering a government Infantry Fighting Vehicle." There were some soft murmuring from the EURM ranks, even though they weren't supposed to talk while in parade rest. "I've decided to give him and his men some dignity by giving it honors. I know that he's from the government with orders to take this base, but at least allow him to rest in peace."

"Attention!"

At the sound of the command, the troops had their hands at their side in unison. The volunteers were not that surprised, except for Cagalli, Athrun, Dearka, Yzak and the other ZAFT Red and ZAFT academy students, since all EURM participants were drawn from the Equatorial Union's armed forces.

"Come forward, Staff Sergeant Chung." ordered General Kowen.

_Do I have to? I don't want the extra attention drawn to me. _Having to respond to the command, Rick left the ranks from the assembled NSF Guardsman platoon and went out a few steps forward. He then halted around 5 feet near the two EURM officers, clicking his feet on the concrete ground before he went to an attention stance.

"Thanks to you Sergeant," addressed General Kowen. "We were able to drive off the OMNI contingent by your sheer willpower when you fought back there. I would say that you fought amazingly. No other soldier has ever fought like that ever."

_What? Was it that condition I felt when I fought those OMNI pilots?_

More murmuring came from the ranks, especially from the volunteers themselves.

"Well, well." Andy grinned from the volunteer crowd. "Looks like he has the gift."

"You mean?" asked Sophia, a bit stunned.

"Yep." Andy nodded. "He's got the berserker gift within him."

Shinn, Lunamaria, Rey, Meyrin and Youlant were wondering what Andy had meant. However, they were standing behind him so as not to attract attention.

"Hey Rey." asked Shinn. "What'd he mean by that?"

"Yeah." Youlant scratched his head. "I'm curious too."

"I'm not sure." replied Rey. "I think I've heard something like that somewhere from before." The blonde scratched his head as well. "I just can't remember where."

Talia, hearing the ZAFT academy students and Andy from nearby, wondered what they were talking about.

_A berserker? What does it mean? Was it the reason why Rick was able to drive off the OMNI forces? I think I can ask him later._

"Thank you, sir." thanked Rick, nodding his head.

"All right." Major Bauer ended his speech. "We need to get some rest." Facing his subordinate, he then gave his final instructions for the day. "Okay, Rick. You can take over from here. Better dismiss the guys."

"Yessir." Rick again nodded. "You'll take your commands from me!" shouted the NSF Guardsman, acknowledging to his EURM comrades that he was in charge of taking command. "Pressssentttt arms!"

All present EURM soldiers and officers assembled saluted in unison to Major Bauer and General Kowen. After the two officers acknowledged them with their salutes, Rick gave his next command. "Ordeeerrrrrr arms!"

After the salute was done, Rick ordered the assembled platoons to fall out. "Fall out!"

* * *

Living Room, Andrew Waltfeld's Residence, Somewhere in the Orb Union

"I don't believe it." Kira whispered, watching the taped battle between Rick and the other OMNI pilots. "He fought... just like me back then." His hands trembled. "Even as I fought Athrun..."

"It must be the SEED theory." answered Murrue, shocked to see Rick's Secundus incapacitate some OMNI mobile suits before watching him kill the lone Primus on television.

"The what theory?" Lacus asked, a bit curious.

"The SEED. Erica told me that it meant Superior Evolutionary Element Destined factor." explained Murrue. "She also mentioned something about it being the next step of human evolution."

"Just like when George Glenn declared to the entire world that he was the first Coordinator to be born." Kira added, looking down on the floor with trouble written on his face, "Before he was assassinated."

"The truth is," Murrue faced Kira and Lacus. "I really worry about Ricky out there."

_Murrue called cousin Rick as Ricky? _Kira wondered before remembering something. _Oh yeah! All the females called him that when he was young back then. Heard them say it was cute._

"What are you really worried about?" Lacus wanted to hear her worries from Murrue.

"I'm worried if he'll keep staying alive for the rest of the civil war." whispered Murrue, turning her attention back to the television screen. Unknown to Kira and Lacus, a tear had emerged from the depths of her left eye, concealed from their view.

* * *

Cafeteria, EUA Pasir Ris, Singapore, Equatorial Union

"Hey everybody! Check out what's on the tube!"

Inside the almost crowded cafeteria, scores of both EURM rebels and volunteers alike watched the news footage, mostly from CNN based in the former United States, from a mounted HD screen placed near the ceiling of the cafeteria. It had halted regular news broadcasting regarding the Equatorial Union civil war for a special news bulletin.

**"A while ago, a daring attempt by the Equatorial Union military and OMNI forces to raid the EURM's base in Singapore had been conducted as a first step to dislodge them out of their stronghold. The raid has failed, resulting in numerous casualties for the government forces. According to the Defense Secretary Michael Winston, most OMNI forces have suffered casualties without revealing an exact number. Analyst are saying that it was a winning battle for the EURM, thanks to the bravery and courage of mercenary volunteers and renegade national servicemen who have entered their ranks, who were responsible for turning the battle in their advantage. Analysts have dubbed this engagement as the _mercenary's battle_."  
**

Loud sounds of cheering came from the tables, most rebels and volunteers were jubilant over their victory against the invaders. Some of them have even whistled.

**"In response to this, President Copeland from the Atlantic Federation had given this speech during a press conference from Washington D.C. 2 hours ago."**

The screen then shifted to show President Copeland, live from the White House's press briefing room. Standing on a podium, he is flanked by two Secret Service agents in black suits.

**"Following the latest information that I've received from President Chua regarding the situation in the Equatorial Union, all of us in OMNI are outraged by the ferocity of the EURM in defying government calls for them to surrender. I had just convened several emergency meetings with representatives from the Eurasian Federation, the Republic of East Asia and the South African Union with the cabinet over this matter."**

The cheering sounds changed to jeering when they saw the face of President Copeland on screen. In fact, someone shouted "Down with the murderous president!"

**"After some heavy consultation, I have decided that the OMNI contingent will be given further authorization to fight alongside the Equatorial Union government. Details will be given out tomorrow."**

"What the hell!" shouted one of the rebel soldiers. "Did you hear that?"

"Yeah!" yelled another. "Is OMNI willing to risk a Vietnam-style war here?"

"That tears it!" barked a third one. "He doesn't even recall the defeat of the former US during the Vietnam War."

"Man!" sneered a mercenary. "I guess he doesn't care that OMNI has suffered enough since Jachin Due all over."

"Oh well." said a second mercenary. "Guess we have to show them that we mean business..."

Soon enough, more shouts and hollers came from their tables. Most are protesting about how the stupid decision that President Copeland made. Others have said that the citizens from the four OMNI countries will protest against its actions.

The broadcast soon turned back to regular broadcasting of regular news after interrupting for the news regarding President Copeland's speech.

* * *

"Finally." Rick huffed, walking inside the almost crowded cafeteria, his Equatorial Union Guards beret nicely tucked under the shoulder epaulet of his Equatorial Union Army flecktarn uniform.

"Whoa..." Rick whistled, noticing some of the mercenary volunteers while his NSF comrades were eating. He then snapped his fingers, trying to remember something.

_I hafta thank that girl again. Heard she disabled Garsky, I guess. What's her name? Lunamary? Lunamari? I know she had pink hair.  
_

Seeing the pink-haired girl seated next to her ZAFT academy friends, he walked over to their table.

_I better settle it there instead._

* * *

"Heard that you did well, sister." said Meyrin, smiling at her sister.

"Don't flatter me, Meyrin." Lunamaria said, scratching her hair. "It wasn't that easy. Trust me."

"That's Luna for ya." chuckled Shinn. "Always not wanting to take some credit."

"I would agree with Shinn." Rey supported Shinn's comments. "Thanks to you, one of those NSF rebels were able to kill one of the three elite soldiers sent by the government."

"Do you know the guy's name?" asked Youlant, who sat down beside Rey after setting his tray down. It had Singapore noddles all over his plate.

"I think so." Rey said, trying to think. "His name was Rick, if I'm right."

"Speaking of Rick, I think that's him." Youlant said, eyeing the rebel NSF Guardsman approaching their table. Rick, finding an empty chair next to Lunamaria's, sat down in their table.

"I think you guys know who I am, so I won't bother to introduce myself." Rick explained himself. "I'm here though, just to thank Ms. Hawke for a good job out there in disabling the enemy elites out there."

"It was nothing, really." Lunamaria stared down at her food tray, feeling a bit red. _I didn't realize that Rick was so handsome..._

Rick eyed Shinn, taking note of his face before he asked, "So Shinn Asuka, I heard you used to be an Orb national. Is that true?"

Shinn shivered a bit, having flashbacks of his family's death during the Orb invasion. "Y-yeah..." Rick noted that he wasn't at ease on talking about his family's past.

"I see that you're still having memories of your dead family." Rick sighed. "I understand. I saw you back there, you fought with rage like a tiger, as if you want something in return out there. In fact, I do remember that you racked up some kills by yourself."

"Y-yeah. I did." Shinn quivered a bit, almost gritting his teeth. _Of all things he wanted to bring up, why this?_

"I'll leave it at that." Rick slowly stood up from his seat. "But I want to tell you one thing."

Shinnn stared at Rick, "And what's that?"

"Nothing will ever bring your family and loved ones back, even if you fight at your fullest." With that, Rick walked away and went to grab some food to eat.

"Shinn," Rey stared at Shinn. "what did he mean?"

"I don't know." Shinn replied. "Maybe I should talk to him about that."

* * *

"Finally! You made it." remarked Hamid, patting Rick on his back after he came back with his food tray from the queue. "This table's reserved for us NSF Guardsmen."

Rick eyed that all of them had their Guards berets tucked underneath their shoulder epaulets. "You guys started already?"

"Some of us." answered Clark. "Some of us are done too."

"Thanks to Singapore," grinned Alec. "We get to have some really good Singaporean food for our celebration."

"Chilli crab man!" Jouji yelled, handling a cracked pincer claw in chilli crab sauce. "Now's the only chance we get to eat stuff like that aside from the barracks food."

"Say now," Rick asked, placing his chopsticks on his Singapore noodles. "I heard someone was trying to look for me. Do you guys know who it was?"

"Er, you see Rick." Mark scratched his chin. All the others seemed to scratch their chins until...

"Hello Mr. Chung."

"M-Ms. Gladys?" Rick turned around and saw Talia, dressed in civilian clothes, approaching their table.

"Hey boys." greeted the ZAFT officer. "Mind if I sit here?"

Suddenly, Rick noticed that most of his NSF Guardsman comrades have either informed the two of them that they need to attend to their things or that they were full from the food that they ate.

_What's with the guys all of a sudden? Ms. Gladys only asked if she could sit in our table..._

"Forget them." said Talia, sitting down on a now empty chair next to Rick. "I just don't know what's on their minds anyway."

"Me too." Rick chuckled, trying to make the best of his situation. _Either some of the guys have a problem with her or did they intentionally do this?_

"Well," began Talia, facing him. "I ought to congratulate you. Your sudden remarkable skills were able to drive the enemy back from the base."

"Er, um..." Rick felt a bit embarrassed.

"But," Talia added. "you seemed to be fighting as if there was no tomorrow a while ago." The brown-haired woman eyed the teenaged rebel. "What happened out there?" whispered the woman.

"To tell you the truth, Ms. Gladys..." began Rick, before he felt the nasty gaze of Talia on him. "Er, I mean, Talia." He then scratched his head to emphasize his apology. "I don't know."

Talia felt dumbfounded, "What do you mean you don't know?"

"That's exactly it, I don't know."

"Well, what do you know, Rick?"

Rick stared at his food and ate before he replied. "I don't know." He said after swallowing his food. "I felt like I was in some sort of bliss. I mean, I didn't feel anything except the need to defeat my opponent."

Talia had her chin pillowed by her left palm, staring at Rick. "Is that it?"

"I guess." Rick stared at his food again, not knowing what else to say. _Dammit! It's either me or it's my intuition telling me something about Ms. Gladys here!_

"By the way, Rick. I've been meaning to ask you something."

"Yeah?" said Rick, facing Talia a bit slowly. "What is it about?"

Talia's "seemingly" soft fingers came to touch a scar scab, which had the appearance of a slash wound, on his right eyebrow. "Where did you get that scar wound?" _I wonder if it's a battle wound he got when Rick got involved in the civil war?_

"You mean this?" Rick said, pointing to the said scar and having a serious face before he laughed at her. "Oh that one! I see..."

"Is there something funny?" Talia raised an eyebrow.

"No, no there isn't." Rick chuckled a bit more before he calmed himself. "I kinda bumped into something when I was in high school."

"Oh?"

"Yea." Rick nodded. "I bumped into the cabinet one night when I had to look for the bathroom. I forgot that the room was so dark and I was sleepy that I couldn't see where I was going." The teenaged rebel grinned before he felt Talia's hand on his scar again.

"You know that you have to be careful these days." Talia smiled, pretending to ignore Rick's blush.

"Talia," Rick whispered. "I thought I heard before that you were in a relationship."

Talia shook her head. "Not anymore. I broke up recently."

"Oh..." mumbled Rick, still feeling the woman's fingers on his scar. _I don't know why, but I'm feeling red all over my face._

While Talia simply smiled at Rick, two women from another table nearby were glaring at her very angrily.

Two women with dagger-like eyes staring at Talia Gladys.

"Um, Rachel. Sophia. Are you two okay?" asked Dearka, sweating a bit if he should get himself involved.

Chapter 14 END

PS - Well! It's been a while since I got so busy with the papers and all. This chapter's a sort of break from all the combat. I did the last part to highlight the tension with Rick and the females such as Talia and Sophia. Hope this is good for you readers. This chapter's a break from fighting, more of it will be in the next chapter!


	15. Moving Forward

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED/Kidou Senshi Gundam SEED: Rebellion

By: Ominae

Rating: T

NOTE:

Concept of the Gundam SEED series are under the copyright of Mitsuo Fukuda, Bandai and Sunrise. Cameo appearances of characters from Mobile Suit Gundam: Lost War Chronicles are under the copyright of Bandai Games, Masato Natsumoto and Tomohiro Chiba. Cameo appearance of Sophia DiFalco and other elements of Birds of a Feather are a courtesy from Solid Shark. All other characters and technology (weapons, vehicles) are under my jurisdiction, with some exceptions.

Summary:

Taking a break from the attempted invasion of EUA Pasir Ris, the loyalist and OMNI forces had suffered numerous casualties, especially when Ken Bederstadt's squad had suffered a casualty on its own. Can the EURM forces continue their battle to topple their corrupt leader and "free" their nation? Stay tune to this chapter to find out.

Chapter 15: Moving Forward

Many days have passed since the end of October. It had been two weeks into the month of November. The Equatorial Union military and its OMNI allies have continued its skirmishes on various EURM locations in Singapore in an attempt to regain footing. Unfortunately, they were repulsed partly in thanks to the mercenary volunteers. Many protests, mostly from the Atlantic and Eurasian Federations, were in the OMNI states over their presence in the Equatorial Union due to the memories of their recent casualties in the Battle of Jachin Due.

In the ranks of the mercenaries, they too had suffered some losses. Shiho Hahenfuss, Edward Harrelson and Barry Ho had left in order to attend to various guerilla operations against Atlantic Federation soldiers in the United States of South America. Jess Rabble, the journalist who was treated as a volunteers in the EURM, left the area as well to document the events there. Mikhail Coast, the EURM's volunteer physician, also left temporarily to attend back to matters back in the PLANTs. Even though they promised that they would be back soon, most of the volunteers were worried that even some temporarily leaves made them unease since they needed all the help they need to help fend off future Equatorial Union/OMNI military skirmishes.

* * *

Command Center, EUA Pasir Ris, Singapore, Equatorial Union

"Hey Sai." said Natarle, who had entered the protected underground room. "Someone's also going to be assigned to help you with your work." They and the former Archangel crew were the only ones stationed in the command center while the others were on break.

"Who is it?" asked Sai, removing the headset from his head.

"It's me, Sai." Sai and other former Archangel non-combat personnel including Romero Pal were startled to see who it was.

"It's him..." whispered Jackie. "He's back."

"Kuzzey." Sai stood up from his seat and walked towards him. "Why?"

"I wanted to help you guys." answered Kuzzey. "After the war ended, I've regretted much that I couldn't do my part to help end it and be with you guys, especially Kira."

"Kuzzey..." Sai was amazed by his friend's statement.

"But didn't your parents oppose to you going to the Equatorial Union, especially with the current civil war?" asked Natarle.

"Don't worry." assured the Orb national. "Ms. Sahaku placed me under her temporary wing and told my folks that I'll be placed in a non-combat position that won't involve me in the frontlines. They were a bit hesitant, but allowed me to go afterwards."

"That's great." Sai smiled and patted his friend's shoulder. "Welcome aboard."

Arnold, Dalida, Romero, Jackie and Natarle smiled and claped their hands, relieved to see an ex-comrade back with them after ending the Battle of Jachin Due.

* * *

Mobile Suit Bay, EUA Pasir Ris, Singapore, Equatorial Union

Rick was in the mobile suit bay with Lowe, Kisato and Liam; the three were working in maintaining all active and non-active EURM mobile suits. Rick handed a data disk over to Lowe and asked him for a favor.

"Lowe. I need a favor." began Rick. "Can you check on the disk and see if the specifications for a large spear-type weapon can be made?"

"Sure." grinned the Junk Guild technician, spinning the disk on his fingers. "I'll see what the data has to offer but I could do it."

"Thanks." Rick nodded before facing Liam and Kisato. "So I take it that you two are Junk Guild technicians." However, Rick had a sudden curiosity to observe Kisato closely. "Strange. It's the first time I heard the Junk Guild take in someone who's less than 18 years of age."

"Are you discriminating me because of my age?" growled Kisato, grinding her teeth in anger.

Rick stared at some of the GINNs, M1 and M1A Astrays, used by the volunteers, and the various Dagger mobile suits with the Primuses being used by the EURM.

"No." He shook his head, patting his head on his red beret. "I can tell if the machines are running well just by the sounds of it. And by the sounds of it," Rick stared at the mobile suits being repaired by EURM and volunteer technicians. "you're doing a good job."

"Umm..." Kisato blushed in embarrassment. "Thank you."

* * *

Outskirts of Mobile Suit Bay, EUA Pasir Ris, Singapore, Equatorial Union

"Hey there." greeted Hamid, wearing his red beret. "We have some people who've arrived."

"Really?" Rick said. "Is it Edward?"

"Nah..." Hamid shook his head. "Heard that he's still fighting out there in the South American War of Independence."

"I see."

"But instead," began Hamid. "someone from Orb's here to see you."

Rick was surprised by his friend's statement. "What?"

"Yep." nodded Avir, who came along. "It also happens that it's a she."

"Who is she, then?" asked Rick, wanting to know who the person is.

"I believe that I'm the one your friends are talking about, Mr. Chung."

A woman with long black hair was approaching the three NSF Guardsmen. What was striking about the woman is that is was not in her Orb nobility clothes, but with ordinary civilian clothes instead.

"So," Rick eyed her suspiciously. "It is you, Rondo Mina Sahaku."

"I apologize for my brother." began Mina with an apologetic look. "It is a fact that I'm the twin sister of my late brother, but I'm a lot different from him."

_I do hope. _Rick sighed, wanting to slap himself silly. "I assume that you're here as a volunteer."

Mina nodded, "Yes. In fact, I've brought my machine along."

Hamid added some details. "I've managed to check it out. Happens to be classified as the MBF-P01-Re2 AMATU Astray Gold Frame Amatu Mina Custom."

"In other words," concluded Rick. "An Orb mobile suit. How interesting."

Avir eyed Tim running up to them, panting on the way.

"Tim." asked Avir. "Something up?"

"Got some latest updates on the news about us." began Tim, sounding urgent.

* * *

Command Center, EUA Pasir Ris, Singapore, Equatorial Union

"Listen to this," began Natarle while she directed Sai to adjust the radio to a certain frequency after escorting Rick and the others inside. "we've picked up this news headline from the Equatorial Union News Network via radio."

"Here it is..." Kuzzey, now as the second communication and electronic warfare handler, adjusted the knobs of his control panel until an audible sound was heard on the speakers.

**"This report was just filed in recently. We have just learned that the region of Mindanao in the Philippines has been subjected to assaults by EURM forces, particularly with its Marine contingent stationed from Luzon and Visayas. Also, most of eastern Indonesia is now under the control of pro-EURM factions, with East Timor and Papua New Guinea as well. In the mainland, heavy fighting was reported between EURM and government forces in Burma and Laos. There are currently unconfirmed reports of gunfire going on in Thailand and Vietnam."  
**

"That's great news." Rick felt a bit better on the EURM's progress in the other regions of the Equatorial Union. "Thanks for picking this up, Natarle."

"Of course." Natarle nodded.

Rick patted Kuzzey. "Great work there, Kuzzey."

"Thanks, Rick." _Wow! Never knew Rick would have to be leading such an enormous rebellion in all of history._

"Come on guys," Rick directed his NSF comrade's attention. "we better get going."

* * *

Shooting Range, EUA Pasir Ris, Singapore, Equatorial Union

"Okay, configuring the Secundus' arm strength to handle the SR-1 beam sniper rifle. The guys can handle the bazooka and SAM launchers."

Alone in the cockpit of the Secundus, Rick was busy working on its arm configurations to further handle the beam sniper rifle. With the others busy checking on their own Secunduses, some of the other NSF Guardsmen were also busy practicing firing their SAR-24 assault rifles. Fortunately, Rick and the other Secundus pilots were allotted some space to configure and handle their mobile suits since recent contact from EURM sympathizers have revealed that Equatorial Union and OMNI forces were busy making further preparations for military exercises in the meantime, giving them time to make adjustments for the Secunduses.

"Now that it's fine, time to check the arm outputs." Rick typed a command on the keyboard to let the OS do a system evaluation. "I'll send these to Hamid and company once the diagnostic reports are in..."

"Rick!"

Hearing someone call out for him, Rick donned his Equatorial Union Guards beret and saw Lowe Guele waving at him.

"Lowe!" Rick called out. "Is there something up?"

"Yeah." nodded Lowe. "I made a check on the disk you gave me and there's some news to it."

"I'm listening, Lowe."

"I looked at the disc you gave me about the giant spear you proposed and my estimates are about 3 to 4 weeks, maybe longer."

"Are you sure?" Rick raised an eyebrow. "Can you do it any faster?"

"Afraid not." Lowe shook his head. "Making those monster weapons are like an art; I need time to make sure that they function well."

"Guess you're right there." Rick relented to Lowe's conditions. "I'll have to recondition the arm outputs to make sure the spear can be handled aside from the Dao sword I had made after I revolted."

"I'll give you updates on the spear's condition once it's ready." assured Lowe, grinning.

_Is he that excited to prepare another weapon like his Gerbera Straight? _"I'm sure you will, Lowe. Thanks."

* * *

Conference Room, Department of Defense Building, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Equatorial Union

"Just what is the meaning of this?"

Secretary Yusof was now screaming his lungs at the unfortunate Ian Lee, who was appointed by Neo since he had "things" to do back at their cap.

_Oh god! _sighed the lieutenant commander. _Why did Captain Neo sent me here instead of him?_

"I've listened to the press conference of President Copeland and he said some things contrary to what we've agreed on! President Chua wants some answers now! And it better be good!"

"Secretary Yusof, I can assure that these are minor technicalities." assured Ian, trying to defuse the situation between the two of them.

"Minor technicalities?" huffed Anwar, a bit unconvinced. "I don't think so, Commander Lee. Right after that supposed press conference in Washington, numerous protests had begun a while ago at the capital with their presence at the embassies from the Atlantic Federation, Eurasian Federation, Republic of East Asia and the South African Union. I even had reports that police had to violently disperse protesters when they threw objects at the Atlantic and Eurasian Federation embassy buildings!" The Defense Secretary glared at his guest. "Even the generals are getting anxious over the possibility that OMNI forces stationed in my country will take over anti-EURM operations!"

After a few minutes, Ian heard a suggestion straight from the defense secretary himself.

"Commander Lee," began Anwar angrily. "I would suggest that you have these clarified with your leaders at once."

"Mr. Secretary." objected Ian. "What the President has said in his press conference may be his final words. It could be hard for us to sway his decisions."

"Then find a way!" snarled the frustrated secretary. "The President has already been under fire by the local media about this."

Ian sighed; there was no way that he could assure Secretary Yusof that things would proceed as planned.

"Of course, Mr. Secretary."

"In addition to that," The defense secretary added more fuel to the fire. "I was told to let you know that the President and the Joint Chiefs of Staff are not pleased with your handling of the attempted EUA Pasir Ris invasion attempt. Instead of dislodging them, it only fueled more anti-OMNI and anti-government sentiment in the country. They told me to pass a message to you to see whether Captain Neo has any bright ideas to remedy the situation."

Ian nodded. "Understood, Mr. Secretary. I'll inform him at once."

* * *

Outskirts of Mobile Suit Bay, EUA Pasir Ris, Singapore, Equatorial Union

Still inside the Secundus' cockpit after setting it on a kneeling position, Rick read the status report done by its OS system.

"Looks like it's okay." Rick read the printed status report. "Yep. No errors or problems seen by the status report. I'll pass the system modifications to the others right now."

"Hey there!"

Peering outside his cockpit, Rick noticed that he had some visitors.

"I see that you're the one who acted like a berserker out there yesterday." The scarred brown-haired man grinned at Rick, accompanied by Sophia.

"Ah, the Desert Tiger." grinned Rick. "Never expected you to be in this part of the world."

"It just so happens that I was in the neighborhood anyway." chuckled the scarred man. Rick then raised his own hand to shake hands with him.

"My real name's Andrew Waltfeld though." introduced Andy. "Though you can me Andy for short, kid."

"Name's not kid, Andy." Rick interrupted. "It happens to be Rick."

Andy chuckled at Rick's response. "Of course not."

"Well, I have to go." Andy began to excuse himself. "I need to take care of something." With that, Andy left Sophia and Rick alone for them to take care of themselves.

"So Rick," Sophia started the conversation between them. "how've you been?"

"Tired." Rick stared at his Secundus beside him. "Really tired."

"Were you working on your mobile suit?"

"Yeah." Rick ran a hand on his hair, ruffling it a bit. "I just ran a system check on its OS to see it's all right."

"You really are busy." Sophia smiled at him. "As for me, I'm currently going to check on my Skygrasper."

"You have your own Skygrasper?" Rick asked. "Wow! I didn't know."

"That was handed down by the Atlantic when I was with OMNI." answered Sophia. "Besides, it's a handy aircraft to have around."

"I see." Rick nodded. "Well, I don't think I can keep you from seeing your Skygrasper then." Sophia then started to head towards the hangar.

"I'll see you around." Sophia and Rick waved goodbye to each other, the former heading towards the direction of the hangar. Rachel had then arrived when Sophia left.

"Er, Rachel. What're you doing here?" _It's either a coincidence or did Rachel just pass by after Sophia left._

"Bad news, Rick." She then handed the Equatorial Union Inquirer. "Read the one on the front page." Rick then read the main headline on the frontpage and suddenly turned pale at the headline itself.

**RENEGADE OMNI OFFICER ALMOST ARRESTED IN USSA!**

_Can't believe it! Reports say that Edward was wounded by Rena Imelia during an attempt to place him into custody. Also mentions that someone assisted him in escaping from an OMNI-lead manhunt. _Rick read the details in the frontpage before he asked Rachel for the rest of the details.

"When did this happen?"

"Since yesterday." replied Rachel. "We've received contact from someone in the PLANTs that Edward's being treated by Mikhail Coast."

"So the crazy doctor decides to help someone for a change." Rick didn't believe what Rachel had told him. "Pretty unusual."

"It is though." Rachel commented as well. "But Dr. Coast said that while Edward's wounds were a bit serious, he expects hims to recover after a week or two."

"Who brought him in then?"

"It was Jess Rable."

"WHAT?" Rick was shocked. "The Jess Rabble?" When he saw Rachel nod, Rick sighed. "Always jump into a situation when he sees fit."

"But," Rachel calmly bit her lip. "I heard that Edward will rejoin us when he recovers. Also, he's bringing a guest along."

"A guest?" Rick raised an eyebrow. "We don't have time to babysit some guest. We're in the middle of an armed revolt here."

"I know." Rachel interrupted. "But I was told that it's someone you've met in battle last month."

"Oh." Rick then mumbled an apology and looked at the ground instead, then raised his head up. "So, where are you headed off to right now?"

"I have to see General Kowen." Rachel fixed her glasses. "Apparently, the base is getting low on some supplies, so I've been told to go around and see what we need."

"That's great." Rick beamed a smile. "At least it's better to be prepared now than to be later on."

"You're right." Rachel too flashed a smile at the NSF Guardsman, earning Rick red cheeks. "I have to go." Rick felt her seemingly soft hands touch his left shoulder.

"Er, of course you have to, Rachel."

Afterwards, Rachel left Rick alone next to his Secundus while everyone else were busy inside the mobile suit bay area. He stared at Rachel's direction as she went back to the base's main building.

_Dang! My heart just began to beat rapidly again ever since I met Talia again. Do I actually enjoy getting touch by their slender fingers or is that I didn't have enough female company these days?_

* * *

Command Center, OMNI Enforcer Contingent Camp, Pahang, Malaysia, Equatorial Union

Neo, inside the camp's command center, was busy evaluating a report handed to him from OMNI's Pacific Command based in Hawaii a few minutes ago.

"Captain Roanoke!"

Ian had arrived inside the command center, back from a meeting with the Equatorial Union's Secretary of Defense, saluted Neo upon entering. "Sir!"

"At ease, Commander!" Neo saluted him in return. "How did the meeting go?"

"Not well, Captain." Ian answered. "The President, through the words of the defense secretary, did not seem to like the events that happened during the attempted invasion of EUA Pasir Ris."

"I see." Neo scratched his chin. "Anyway, a report came in from Pacific Command. Reinforcements are going to arrive in a week's time."

"How, sir?" Ian asked, studying the map of the Equatorial Union. "Most of the waters in the country are already either under EURM control or are under current combat conditions with the government and EURM forces along."

"But they haven't taken this part yet." Neo pointed to the South China Sea in the tactical map. "Most of the South China Sea are relatively safe. The higher ups should be able to get our men and fresh supplies from Taiwan, Hong Kong or Mainland China in a matter of days. Using the Eurasian Federation as a passage point isn't a viable opinion since loyalist border guards are replaced with EURM rebels."

"I have a concern, Captain." Ian pointed to the Philippines, especially the Palawan area. "I've heard several reports that the EURM may have a presence in the Palawan island. What if they decide to damage some of our vessels so as to weaken our hold in the Equatorial Union?"

"Don't worry." Neo assured his subordinate. "We've got some of our vessels stationed nearby pointing their guns at them. Some of our cruisers are going to escort them as an extra measure, even though the Republic of East Asia will provide some of the security for the incoming transport ships."

"That would make sense." remarked Ian. "Are the ships there already from ports in Vietnam?"

"For the most part," replied Neo. "Some of the Des Moines and Arkansas class ships are in the Philippines' Mindanao area to give gunnery support for the government forces there."

Neo sighed, picking up another report that he had read aside from the one that noticed him of incoming reinforcements.

"Here." Neo handed Ian the second report. "I have some thoughts about this."

"Captain." Ian read the report himself. "Are you seriously going to consider this? Lodonia reports that they have _them _ready and are if you're going to use them..."

_Hmmmm... _Neo thought for a bit. _Even though they're just kids, the OMNI Chiefs of Staff won't hesitate to use them if they think they can win the war. But I don't think it's the right time. At least not yet._

"Tell them that I won't need them in this operation."

"Captain?"

"I don't have the slightest confidence in Lodonia's report." Neo explained to Ian. "Ever since those so-called Biological CPUs failed to gain an advantage over ZAFT, they're trying to rush the program in order to develop better ones. In this current stage, I don't think I'll need help from _them _for the meantime." Neo sighed before he told Ian his instructions.

"Inform Lodonia that they have my thanks, but I won't need them."

"Yes, sir. However," Ian insisted, heading to the communications officer to send out the necessary message. "Lord Djibril may intervene at this point."

"I don't think so." Neo insisted also. "If he does, then let me know..."

* * *

Cafeteria, EUA Pasir Ris, Singapore, Equatorial Union

Seated down in one of the cafeteria's empty tables to catch a breather, he viewed the news from the HD television screens that were present in the room with headlines regarding OMNI troop movement into the Equatorial Union.

_Egads! More troop movement! _Rick sipped some cold water from his plastic cup. _If things won't get worse from there..._

"There you are!"

Bringing his head up, Rick eyed Shinn from the cafeteria's entrance, who was alone at the moment.

"Shinn! What can I do for you?"

"I just want to talk." Shinn took a seat next to Rick. "About yesterday."

"Oh!" Rick knew what Shinn wanted to talk about. "I guess we have something in common. Both our families were brutally killed during OMNI's invasion of Orb back then."

"Even though it's a few months since they died," Shinn clenched his fists, trying not to sob. "I just can't seem to move on with my life even though I have a better one now at the PLANTs."

"Don't try to think about it too much." Rick said, consoling the young Coordinator. "You should have a clear mind if you're to participate in the upcoming skirmishes."

"Right." Shinn exhaled and ruffled his black hair. "Gotta keep that in mind."

"Was there something you wanted to ask me?" Rick stared at the former Orb national.

Shinn stared at Rick when he was asked. "I did remember you telling me about my participation in the field."

"Oh, that one." Rick scratched his chin. "Well, I was able to take a peek of you holding off those enemy mobile suits with that GINN of yours." _Here's the hard part. _"I did overhear you that you wanted to do some payback against OMNI for killing your family."

Shinn then suddenly glared at Rick, but was still talking to him with a non-angry voice. "So what's your point? You're just gonna tell me that my family won't be back from the grave and all..."

"And it is a fact." Rick had cut Shinn off before he sighed. "I was like you once. When I first joined in the revolt with my fellow national servicemen comrades, I was consumed by the thought of vengeance until the battle last month."

"What do you mean by that?" Shinn questioned Rick's story.

"Right after I fought that purple mobile suit and the others out there," explained Rick. "I began to realize something. I devoted my anger and hatred against OMNI and its OMNI-back government as I felt that they were responsible for killing some of my family. But, there was something. I didn't feel satisfied that no matter how much of government territory I got for the EURM, how many POWs I captured or how many enemy soldiers I killed, I suddenly realized that my family's dead and will stay dead. I feel that my agenda on my quest of revenge won't be achieved." Rick ran a hand on his hair and laughed. "Funny, considering that I'm an honor student from my old high school. I shouldn't be thinking about things like that."

"Uh..." Shinn was caught surprised by his words.

"You're a good person, Shinn." Rick stood up and placed a hand on his right shoulder. "You really are. But I do believe you need to change your course of action. Fight for the right reasons, my friend."

Rick then parted, leaving Shinn to ponder on his own words.

_If that was only possible. _Shinn clenched his fists again. _I want to move on. Really, I do. But something inside me's nagging me that I should find out about that mobile suit which killed Mayu, mom and dad. _

Placing his hands on his head, Shinn tried to reflect on what Rick had told him.

_I'm sorry, Rick. I don't think I can move on until I can find out what was the mobile suit that took out my family and the pilot who was controlling it._

Chapter 15 END


	16. Covert Mission

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED/Kidou Senshi Gundam SEED: Rebellion

By: Ominae

Rating: T

NOTE:

Concept of the Gundam SEED series are under the copyright of Mitsuo Fukuda, Bandai and Sunrise. Cameo appearances of characters from Mobile Suit Gundam: Lost War Chronicles are under the copyright of Bandai Games, Masato Natsumoto and Tomohiro Chiba. Cameo appearance of Sophia DiFalco and other elements of Birds of a Feather are a courtesy from Solid Shark. All other characters and technology (weapons, vehicles) are under my jurisdiction, with some exceptions.

Summary:

EUA Pasir Ris continues to make preparation for a possible full-scale attack against loyalist and OMNI forces in Singapore as the EURM is now getting ready to push them out of their territory once and for all. How will the appearances of Kuzzey Buskirk and Rondo Mina Sahaku make a difference in the EURM's goal to put their current president out of office? Can they contribute to the EURM's cause? Stay tune to this chapter to find out.

Chapter 16: Covert Mission

Command Center, OMNI Enforcer Contingent Camp, Pahang, Malaysia, Equatorial Union

"Captain, are you sure you want to do this?"

Neo Roanoke and Ian Lee had formulated on a feasible strategy in crippling the EURM's ability to fight a sustained civil war against the Equatorial Union government.

"I'm sure of this strategy, Commander." ensured Neo. "All we need to do is to insert a joint OMNI special forces unit near enemy lines undetected. I'll hand them a list of objectives that they should complete. That way, we could be able to cripple the EURM's fighting strength so as to be less of a threat against Kuala Lumpur."

"All right, sir." Ian sighed, looking at the tactical map of the area around EUA Pasir Ris. Shuffling some of the papers that Neo had now handed to him, the OMNI officer began to eye on the details of the supposed strike team with Neo explaining to his subordinate on the plan.

"I also chose the supposed special forces units from the various OMNI nations to send in their most capable soldiers in the team." Neo began to debrief Ian on the team's component. "All four of these soldiers are from the various special forces that were already approved by their respective nations."

"According to this," Ian read the paper given to him by Neo. "we have soldiers coming from the Atlantic Federation's Joint Task Force Two, the Eurasian Federation's Jagdkommando, the South African Union's 5 Reconnaisance Commando division under the South African Union Special Forces Brigade and the Republic of East Asia's 56th Special Warfare Brigade."

"They're the recommended ones selected for the mission." Neo sighed, looking at the orders printed on the paper itself. "Let's hope these guys can get their targets and get back in one piece."

* * *

Mobile Suit Bay, EUA Pasir Ris, Singapore, Equatorial Union

"How's it going, Lowe?"

Visiting Lowe in the base's mobile suit bay, Rick was busy asking the Junk Guild technician for updates regarding the spear weapon that he had planned to make for his Secundus.

"The plans for the spear are going fine. It's almost ready, but I need your help for some testing to see if it works." grinned the brown-haired technician, snapping his right thumb and index finger for emphasis. "See. It's just like I told you before."

"That reminds me." Rick snapped his left thumb and left index finger. "I also need you to look at something for me."

"And what's this about?" Lowe asked, scratching his head.

"I'll need some help in reinforcing the cockpit of the Secunduses." Eyeing Noel from behind Lowe's shoulder, Rick called out to her.

"Noel!" He ran up to the mobile suit analyst. "Hey, I need a favor from you?"

"Anything for you, Rick." said Noel, smiling at him.

"Er, that's great." replied Rick, blushing a bit. "I was wondering if you could help me do backup copies of the Secundus' OS system."

Noel looked confused. "What for? Is something up?"

Rick shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. I just got a bad something that something's up later tonight. It's better to be safe than not to be at all."

"Okay." Noel nodded in reply. "When do we start backing up the OSes?"

"Right now."

* * *

As darkness enveloped Singapore, an OMNI Transport Plane was covered in the night sky with a very high prioritized cargo. In it were the four OMNI special forces soldiers selected to undergo a covert mission that could change the tide of the Equatorial Union civil war.

When the plane was slowly approaching the airspace of EUA Pasir Ris, its cargo bay door opened up to enable the commandos to perform a HALO (High Altitude, Low Opening) drop from the air. When the plane's cargo was already released, it began to set a course back to the OMNI camp in Malaysia.

**"The package has dropped." **radioed the pilot back to its Pahang, Malaysia main camp. **"I repeat. The package has been dropped."  
**

* * *

Somewhere near the outskirts of EUA Pasir Ris, Singapore, Equatorial Union

"All right!" The first OMNI soldier covertly packed up his parachute before checking his tactical vest and his unofficial woodland camouflage uniform before he went out of his way to check if his weapon was with him. He had a Caucasian complexion on and blonde hair. "Check your things and move out."

His name was Michael Layton, a Canadian from the Atlantic Federation's Joint Task Force Two unit. He had seen action, for the most part, in the United States of South America (USSA) against anti-occupation guerrillas when Atlantic Federation soldiers were leading an OMNI invasion against the USSA after conducting mostly close protection duties with OMNI world leaders during public appearances. Michael was wounded twice in combat, but was awarded for taking part in operations that would pave the way for the country's integration into the Atlantic Federation. During his tour, Michael was involved in two missions with orders to halt pro-USSA guerillas from attacking the Porta Panama mass driver in Panama.

"That be your thing, Michael?" Another man with a Caucasian complexion and brown hair pointed to a supposed metal box behind Michael's position.

The man's name was Karl Fischer, an Austrian hailing from the Eurasian Federation and a member of the Jagdkommando unit, well known for its harsh training even though it was a neutral country back in the 20th and 21st century. Karl had been deployed in North Africa in order to participate in anti-ZAFT operations for a short time and had participated in an attempt to snatch former ZAFT's Banadiya _mayor_, Andrew Waltfeld during clashes between Eurasian Federation-led OMNI and ZAFT forces in El Alamein, Egypt before it was scrapped after Eurasian Federation forces were forced to withdraw due to casualties from ZAFT's new mobile suits, especially with the BuCUEs, and was later deployed to the Gulnahan Ravine near Suez, Egypt.

"Thanks a bunch, Karl." thanked Michael, instructing two more of the special ops team to bring the box to them and disable the lock. Moments later, the last two soldiers had brought the metal box to Michael and Karl by its handles.

"Going to unlock the box." said one of the soldiers who had brought in the metal box, punching in a set of numbers on its keypad before a soft clicking could be heard, indicating that the box was already open. Unlike Michael and Karl, this soldier had a black complexion with black hair.

He happens to be Timothy Madikizela, who is a South African from the South African Union. A soldier of the country's South African Union Special Forces Brigade, he was from the brigade's 5 Reconnaissance Commando division, which specializes in land-based operations. Timothy had been a veteran at his own right during the later days of the Cosmic Era when he engaged ZAFT and African Community forces in several border wars and later, in infiltration missions in order to bomb vital ZAFT and African Community installations. Captured at one point by ZAFT soldiers during a routine infiltration mission to bomb a ZAFT base in the African Community's Namibia, Timothy was able to escape and embarked on a lone journey from Namibia all the way to South Africa in nine days while evading capture from ZAFT and African Community search parties, a feat done similarly by former Special Air Service (SAS) operator Chris Ryan, who escaped from Iraq to Syria in eight days.

"Contents are still intact, guys." The fourth soldier, with Asian looks, took out parts that make up two electronic bombs complete with an electronic keypad to the three soldiers. "We should be able to continue the mission."

The man was Kang Soo-Lee, a Korean hailing from the Republic of East Asia, who had family ties traced from the former nation of South Korea when it merged with the North for a short time before the CE calendar was established in the middle of the 21st century. Like the other members of the team, Kang is a soldier of the Republic of East Asia's 56th Special Warfare Brigade. He saw action during ZAFT's invasion of Taiwan, covertly inserted with a small team of Special Warfare Brigade soldiers and battled ZAFT soldiers alongside Taiwanese Republic of East Asian soldiers and tanks before they were forced to retreat following the capture of Kaohsiung's mass driver, denying the country's ability to deploy its soldiers or supplies to space. Before the unit withdrew from Taiwan, Kang and his Special Warfare Brigade colleagues were responsible for hampering initial ZAFT efforts to capture the Kaohsiung mass driver by sabotaging their GINNs during search and destroy missions. Their attempts to damage the GINNs became known in the OMNI ranks as the _bum leg _incident when their leg joints were simultaneously destroyed through controlled explosions, thus having an initial victory before ZAFT's numerous mobile suits were able to overwhelm their adversaries, winning control of the mass driver and in the longer run, Taiwan.

"Alright, Kang." said Karl. "Give us a hand here."

"Right." nodded Kang. The four soldiers were eventually able to construct the explosive devices, placing the two in backpacks carried by Karl and Timothy.

"Our objectives are to neutralize Major Bauer and General Kowen while extracting our target, Staff Sergeant Richard Chung of the Equatorial Union Guards after we take care of a few things inside their base." reminded Michael, cocking his Colt M-18C bullup assault rifle carbine after ensuring the magazine was inserted in the rifle.

"Why did the top brass made it a priority to exfiltrate that kid?" asked Timothy, handling his Colt M-18C carbine. "Couldn't those two be our targets instead?"

Kang gripped his own Colt M-18C, looking around for EURM sentries. "According to the orders we've received, Sergeant Chung happens to have some intelligence value that we can use to smash the rest of the rebellion against Kuala Lumpur."

"I still don't know about that order." doubted Timothy, checking his Beretta PX4 Storm Special Duty (SD) pistol before holstering it back on his right thigh holster. "But orders are orders."

"Anyway, what's our game plan?" questioned Karl. "We know the base has had extra security since the attempted attack last month."

Michael took out a waterproof map from his vest, unfurled it to reveal the layout of EUA Pasir Ris and its surroundings. Timothy took out a flashlight and shined its light on the map, illuminating its contents for them to see against the night.

"CIA has managed to get some details about the base. We should be able to get inside through here." Michael used his left index finger to point out the only method of entry into the base.

"The sewers?" asked Kang, looking at the map. "Oh, I think I saw the cover of a manhole on a stretch of road nearby."

"Perfect." grinned Timothy. "That way, we can infiltrate the base with no problem at all."

"All right." Michael furled up the map and stored it in his vest before he and the others held their Colt M-18C carbine at the ready. "Let's move out."

* * *

Command Center, EUA Pasir Ris, Singapore, Equatorial Union

"Anything out there today?" Arthur asked Sai and Kuzzey, monitoring loyalist and OMNI transmissions.

"Nothing." Kuzzey shook his head, listening in to the radio transmissions. "So far, everything's all about troop movement inside their bases and resupplying operations."

"That's strange." commented Martin, who was seated in one of the chairs vacated by Dalida as he and the others were given the break while Sai and Kuzzey took over. "OMNI would've planned something to this base by now. I don't think they'll just sit down and smell the night air."

"That may be the case." Arthur ruffled his own hair before withdrawing his own Armscor A2-45 FSB tucked on the waistband of his pants and cocked it to chamber a single .45 ACP round in the pistol's barrel. "But it's best to be ready."

"I'll go and alert the base's officers on that assumption." Martin was then walking towards the exit of the command center. "You can stay here and make sure things are running here." When Arthur nodded at him, Martin left him to staff the command center with the remaining personnel.

* * *

Somewhere in EUA Pasir Ris, Singapore, Equatorial Union

Unknown to the EURM rebels or its mercenary allies, a manhole cover was being popped open from the interiors of the sewers. After the lid was placed aside, Kang was the first to emerge from the manhole while being under the cover of darkness. Minutes later, he pulled out Michael from the manhole while he in turn assisted Timothy and Karl in getting out of the sewers.

"So far so good." Kang scanned the area while aiming his Colt M-18C at any suspecting enemies. "We weren't spotted yet."

"According to intel," explained Michael, now wearing his black balaclava. "we should be able to spot Rick Chung from around these parts."

"So we just go out there and capture him?" asked Timothy, putting his own black balaclava too.

"May sound strange," shrugged Michael. "but that's the word."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Karl asked, with his black balaclava worn on his head. "Let's go. Our first target is their mobile suit bay."

* * *

Walking alone inside EUA Pasir Ris, Rick Chung was on his way to the main headquarters to speak with Major Bauer and General Kowen when he saw some figures heading towards the mobile suit bay.

"Are those..." Rick stared at them before shrugging. "Nah. Probably some of the guys forgot something."

* * *

Mobile Suit Bay, EUA Pasir Ris, Singapore, Equatorial Union

"That takes care of the problem." whispered Kang, successfully subduing a lightly armed EURM soldier after sneaking on him from the rear and choked him to unconsciousness while Michael took care of a lone technician who was about to sound the base's alarm system when the Canadian smacked the man's head with the rifle butt of his Colt M-18C before he and Kang applied plasticuffs on their prisoners.

"Arming the EMP bomb now." Timothy placed one of the EMP bombs near some of the Secundus mobile suits while Karl placed another nearby.

"Done. Let's set the timer for 3 minutes." Timothy and Karl began to input a sequence of codes on the bomb's keypads before they got a visual confirmation that the timer has been set.

"Come on. Come on. Let's move it..." hissed Michael, motioning his comrades to head out of the mobile suit bay and head out to their next target.

* * *

"Strange..." muttered Rick. "I thought I heard someone yelping from inside the mobile suit bay."

Watching the same figures that the NSF Guardsman had encountered leaving the premises, he donned his Guards beret furiously while trying to pursue the mysterious shadowy figures.

"Say? Aren't they headed for the..." whispered Rick, watching them approach their next destination.

* * *

Somewhere inside Main Building, EUA Pasir Ris, Singapore, Equatorial Union

"Clear." whispered Micheal, seeing the empty room was clear of hostiles when he and his group were able to infiltrate the building after an open window that was left unattended.

"What's this place?" asked Timothy, scanning the dark room himself for any hostiles.

"Must be an office." answered Kang. "Looks pretty safe to me."

* * *

Outskirts of Main Building, EUA Pasir Ris, Singapore, Equatorial Union

"So they're heading inside the main building." Rick used a parked Laguna vehicle as a means of cover while peeking out with his eyes used as visual aid. "But the only ones inside right now are..."

Realizing as to who their next target was, Rick dashed towards the building and scaled the fire escape ladder next to the window that the mysterious team had entered.

* * *

Cafeteria, EUA Pasir Ris, Singapore, Equatorial Union

"Arthur?" Talia was surprised to see her future executive officer in the cafeteria. "What are you doing here?"

"Well ma'am." began Arthur. "Some of the guys are worried over some suspicious radio transmissions..."

"And?" interrupted Talia, raising an eyebrow.

"We've studied some of the transmissions and all of them had reports of troop movements and resupplying operations..."

* * *

Staircase, Main Building, EUA Pasir Ris, Singapore, Equatorial Union

Rick raced down the main building's staircase, hoping to catch the unknown persons in action.

_Come on! Come on! If only my legs can move a bit faster...  
_

* * *

Cafeteria, EUA Pasir Ris, Singapore, Equatorial Union

"However, none of them are about any troop movements to the base." Arthur explained to Talia. "They know that we've been slightly weakened since the attempted attack a month ago."

"That's true." Talia wondered. "If that's the case, then why didn't the government or OMNI move their forces for another shot at us aside from minor skirmishes in other parts of the Union?"

* * *

Corridor, Main Building, EUA Pasir Ris, Singapore, Equatorial Union

"Made it." huffed Rick, seeing the corridor empty of anyone aside from himself.

Now searching the empty corridor for some signs of a perpetrator, Rick's eyes wandered around carefully not to miss any important detail that can use to locate them until he spotted a slightly opened door with the room's lights closed.

"Strange." muttered Rick. "Who's in there?"

Rick got closer and closer to the door, peeking his head inside when he suddenly felt a strange object pressed to the side of his head.

* * *

Cafeteria, EUA Pasir Ris, Singapore, Equatorial Union

"In that case," Talia suggested. "we have to go and speak with Major Bauer or General Kowen about this."

Suddenly, some gunshots are heard from outside the cafeteria.

"Hey? What was that?" asked one of the EURM soldiers.

"Are we being attacked?" questioned another, bolting up from his seat.

Hamid, decked in Equatorial Union Guards assault gear and his beret, entered the cafeteria with some of the other regular Guardsmen.

"Ms. Gladys." addressed Hamid. "Have you seen Rick around?"

Talia shook her head, making the Palestinian NSF Guardsman cringe. "This is bad. We've got reports that an OMNI infiltration team has entered the base and is trying to abduct him."

"What?" Talia was shocked to hear the news.

"Last time we heard," began Hamid. "he was sighted near the outskirts of the base's main building, probably already captured."

"I see." Talia nodded, being escorted out by Hamid and the others Guardsmen with Arthur in tow.

"Ms. Gladys," added Arthur. "some of the mercenaries here are trying to hold the team off. Unfortunately, I'm not sure how long."

"All right." Talia had all the details she needs.

All she has to do is to save Rick before the infiltration team tries to exfiltrate him out.

* * *

Somewhere in EUA Pasir Ris, Singapore, Equatorial Union

"Come on, yea!" Michael yelled, firing a burst from his Colt M-18C at incoming EURM rebels, who were trying to halt him and his team from exfiltrating the unconscious Rick, being carried by Karl on his right shoulder.

"Damn!" cursed Timothy, gunning down some EURM rebels with his Colt M-18C. "They just keep coming!"

"Hey!" Kang drove to Michael's area with a hotwired Laguna. "Come on! Inside!" Karl had loaded the prisoner while Michael entered the passenger's seat next to Kang's with Timothy providing cover fire before he entered the Laguna jeep.

"What about the old geezers back inside?" asked Karl, pointing to the main building behind him.

"Forget it!" shouted Michael. "We can't accomplish it since we've been spotted. If the brass wants to chew someone, then I'll take care of it myself."

* * *

Rooftop, Somewhere in EUA Pasir Ris, Singapore, Equatorial Union

"You got that, Anish?" Matt was with his Guardsman comrade, providing observer support when he peered through his binoculars.

"Got that, chief." Anish was handling a Pindad SPR-2 sniper rifle, an update of the SPR-1 sniper rifle with the addition of a 20-round magazine. "Vehicle's just got cleared from the clearing near the main building."

"They appear to be heading for the main entrance." Matt observed the hijacked Laguna. "Anish, can you get him?"

"Probably." Anish replied, keeping his eye on the target via sniper scope. "Sights are aligned on the vehicle. I can take him."

"Fire!" yelled Matt, giving the order.

* * *

Motor Pool, EUA Pasir Ris, Singapore, Equatorial Union

Moments later, the Laguna's left front tire was shot by Anish's SPR-2 sniper rifle, a 7.62 mm NATO bullet embedded on the tire before the vehicle crashed into a parked Linear Tank.

"Shit!" coughed Michael, who was the first to emerge out of the crashed Laguna while laying down suppressive fire against EURM rebels and the armed mercenaries, who were trying to get to them.

"Didn't expect this." Kang kicked the driver's door down, who joined Michael in laying down suppressive fire against their incoming enemies.

"A little help here." mumbled Timothy, who got Kang's assistance in opening his passenger door for him to get the prisoner out.

"All right! Let's move!" The four OMNI soldiers moved away from the crashed vehicle in unison while firing their Colt M-18C rifles in unison, killing some EURM soldiers while wounding a mercenary volunteer in the right shoulder before two more were gunned down.

* * *

Rooftop, Somewhere in EUA Pasir Ris, Singapore, Equatorial Union

"I got a shot at them!" shouted Anish, having found a target from the OMNI infiltration team.

"Go for it, Anish!" yelled Matt, having visual confirmation of the team.

Minutes later, a single gunshot rang out in the night air.

* * *

Motor Pool, EUA Pasir Ris, Singapore, Equatorial Union

"Argh!" Kang's right arm felt a bullet enter his elbow joint, impairing his ability to fire his rifle.

"Kang!" yelled Michael, rushing to aid his comrade.

"Forget me, Michael." implored Kang. "Get the prisoner out of here."

Michael grudgingly nodded at him, watching his Korean comrade fire his remaining ammo while Michael and the others worked to get Rick's body out of the base for pickup before another shot came from Anish's sniper rifle, which this time placed another 7.62 mm NATO bullet into Kang's left leg, immobilizing him for a while before EURM soldiers from the 1st Commando Brigade were able to subdue him while the others pursued the other surviving OMNI special forces soldiers.

* * *

Outskirts of Motor Pool, EUA Pasir Ris, Singapore, Equatorial Union

Michael, Karl and Timothy were now running towards the main entrance of EUA Pasir Ris, with Karl carrying the captive while Michael and Timothy cleared a path for them.

Out of nowhere, a man wearing the uniform of a Eurasian Federation soldier appeared in front of them accompanied by Hilda, Mars, Kisaka and Andrew.

"Hold it!" snarled the man, who had shades on. "You're not taking him anywhere."

"It's Gai Murakamo of Serpent Tail!" barked Timothy, not believing who they were facing.

"Who cares?" Michael drew out his SOG Spec-Elite I combat knife from the knife sheath in his belt when Gai intercepted it by kicking his right arm with a roundhouse, forcing him to drop the said weapon.

"Michael!" Karl yelled, still gripping Rick on his right shoulder when he felt something metallic penetrating his back. "Urgh!" The Austrian was then forced to go down on his knees, feeling red blood escape from his mouth before his body collapsed.

"Karl!" Timothy shouted, who was facing Hilda and Mars in hand to hand combat. The South African tried to do a series of punch and kicks to the two ZAFT volunteers, who had an advantage over him since their Coordinator traits enabled them to dodge his moves faster while countering them when Hilda punched Timothy in the chest followed by Mars' kick on his face.

"Gotcha!" Rick, while being placed on Karl's right shoulder, drew out his SOG Spec-Elite I combat knife while he was distracted by the appearance of Gai and the others. Standing up slowly, he was assisted by Kisaka.

"Are you all right?"

"No worries." Staring at the bloodied knife, Rick tossed it aside. Andrew helped Hilda and Mars tackle down Timothy while Michael escaped after a series of kicks from Gai forced the Canadian to retreat.

"It's all right, Gai." Rick assured the Serpent Tail mercenary. "I'll take care of him myself."

"All right." Gai nodded. "Just make sure to come back in one piece."

"Right Just make sure the survivors are taken back to the base. We need them alive." With that, Rick set off to pursue the lone surviving OMNI infiltration team member, trying to stay alive.

Chapter 16 END


	17. Recovery

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED/Kidou Senshi Gundam SEED: Rebellion

By: Ominae

Rating: T

NOTE:

Concept of the Gundam SEED series are under the copyright of Mitsuo Fukuda, Bandai and Sunrise. Cameo appearances of characters from Mobile Suit Gundam: Lost War Chronicles are under the copyright of Bandai Games, Masato Natsumoto and Tomohiro Chiba. Cameo appearance of Sophia DiFalco and other elements of Birds of a Feather are a courtesy from Solid Shark. All other characters and technology (weapons, vehicles) are under my jurisdiction, with some exceptions.

Summary:

To even the odds against the EURM, an OMNI special operations team was sent to infiltrate EUA Pasir Ris in order to kidnap Rick Chung and assassinate two of its major EURM leaders as a means of crippling the EURM's ability to hold a sustained rebellion against the Equatorial Union government after being inserted by HALO paradrop in the middle of the night. Unfortunately, EURM rebels and their mercenary allies are on their tail with Rick hunting the last of them as their plan to extract Rick was foiled. Can Rick and his comrades subdue the infiltration team before it's too late? Stay tune to this chapter to find out.

Chapter 17: Recovery

50 kms from Motor Pool, EUA Pasir Ris, Singapore, Equatorial Union

Rick was pursuing Michael, the lone survivor of the attempted infiltration to kidnap him and assassinate General Kowen and Major Bauer in order to cripple the EURM's will to keep fighting the loyalist government.

_There he is. _Rick was now running on full speed, thanks to his Coordinator genes. _But he's stopping._

"I'm getting sick and tired of you, you freaking Coordinator." snarled the Atlantic Federation soldier, withdrawing his SOG Spec-Elite I after taking it from the ground when he tried to escape from Gai. "This time, let's see who's going to stand!"

"Fine by me, you bigotic racist!" Getting into a fighting stance, the two soldiers charged for each other. Michael made several thrusts with his combat knife with Rick dodging the stabs. He counter the OMNI commando's attacks by using kicks to put some strain on his arm.

_Coordinator's a fighter. _Michael dodged Rick's kick and jab punches, which he used to follow up on his kick moves. _But the brass did say that I can..._

"Oof!" Michel's attempt to concentrate on the situation was hindered when Rick dashed and kneed him on his chest before executing an uppercut on his chin, landing on the ground back first.

"That smarts." Brushing how painful the uppercut was, Michael brandished his knife on his side and waited for Rick to dash again towards him. _That's right. Get a bit closer... _Watching Rick's left leg, the JTF 2 commando quickly lunged at the lone EURM Guardsman from the ground and stabbed his leg.

"Uwargh!" Rick gripped his wounded leg in pain as he collapsed on the ground. Even his Coordinator genes couldn't keep the wounded leg from being more painful than he can bear. "My leg! My damn leg!" Rick then stared at his assailant. "Damn you!" said Rick through his gritted teeth.

"Damn twerp!" Slowly standing up, Michael unholstered his Beretta PX4 Storm SD pistol. "Since I can't take you alive..." He then cocked his pistol to chamber a single .45 caliber round in the Storm's barrel. "I might as well take you in dead."

Rick snarled, still feeling his wound. "What?"

"I'm afraid so." grinned Michael, aiming his Beretta PX4 Storm SD at his forehead. "Sorry about that. Like I say, no hard feelings anyway."

Rick felt his days were numbered when he saw Michael's left index finger was about to pull the pistol's trigger when he heard a gunshot from his rear.

"What the?" mumbled Rick. Michael, still standing, turned around and tried to open fire on his assailant. However, he received 3 more shots at his chest.

"Dammit." Gurgling blood from his mouth, Michael dropped his pistol and fell on his knees before he exhausted his last breath.

Rick's vision began to fade before him as he began to loose more blood. But before he fainted, Rick smiled when he caught the glimpse of a familiar brown-haired female, who was running towards him.

"Arigato (Thank you)..."

* * *

Intensive Care Unit, EUA Pasir Ris Hospital, EUA Pasir Ris, Singapore, Equatorial Union

_Damn. My heads hurt, but I feel like the ground became kinda comfy all of a sudden. Where am I?_

Rick slowly opened his closed eyes, helping him learn of his location. The room was currently empty, aside from himself.

"The intensive care unit? So I'm in the hospital?" Rick then shivered a bit when he felt a soft hand touching his. "Must be in the recently made ICU room."

"I see that you're already awake."

Turning to his right, Rick noted that his visitor happened to be Talia herself.

"Ms. Glad..." Seeing Talia about to frown, Rick blurted her first name. "Er, Talia. What a surprise. What happened?"

"You don't know?" Rick shook her head, making the ZAFT commander giggle. "In case you don't know, I just saved your life." She was about to narrate the details when General Kowen had appeared in the room.

"General Kowen." Rick saluted him from his bed. "I apologize for not greeting you properly right now."

"It's all right. Not need to be so formal." The officer raised a hand. "You had a handful of visitors a while ago, son." said General Kowen. "However, that's not entirely the reason I came to see you."

"Was it about the OMNI infiltration team?" Rick adjusted him on the bed when he propped his back against his pillow.

"I'm afraid so." began the general. "Of the four OMNI soldiers that tried to undermine this base, only two of them have survived."

"Who were they, sir?"

General Kowen sighed. "We obtain their identities through our contacts in the DMI and NIB and found out that one of the two soldiers in our custody were Lieutenant Timothy Madikizela of the South African Union's 5th 5 Reconnaissance Commando division, belonging to the South African Union Special Forces brigade."

"A South African Union national? Most likely done by the Atlantic's prodding." mumbled Rick, which did not escape Talia's hearing.

"The other soldier captured is Lieutenant Commander Karl Fischer of the Eurasian Federation's Jagdkommando. You stabbed him in the back when he was carrying you on his shoulder, but the surgeons were able to stitch him up."

"The Hunting Command." answered Rick. "Not surprising. They were notorious for their specialty in hunting down war criminals back in the 20th century."

"As for the two dead ones," continued General Kowen. "One of them hails from the Atlantic Federation. His name was Captain Michael Layton of the Atlantic Federation's Joint Task Force Two."

"I see." Rick flexed his hands, a bit angry about yesterday's incident.

"The other was Lieutenant Junior Grade Kang Soo-Lee from the Republic of East Asia's 56th Special Warfare Brigade. However..."

Rick raised an eyebrow. "Wasn't he alive initially? Last time I heard, he was subdued."

"At first." The general scratched his chin. "Unfortunately, he was killed during transportation to his holding cell when Kang attempted to grab one of the guard's rifles. As a result..."

"Let me guess. He was shot?"

"Quite correct, youngster." boomed another voice. "That credit goes to us."

Martin and Andrew had entered the intensive care unit, much to the surprise of Rick and Talia.

"You guys?" Rick asked.

"Yep." Andy patted the shoulder of his ex-ZAFT executive officer. "Me and DaCosta were at the scene at the time. So I guess General Kowen told you everything."

"Yea." Rick nodded before asking. "But what about the mobile suits? Are they alright?"

"About that." General Kowen said. "Even with the detonation of the EMP bombs made to target the Secundus prototypes, none of them were actually harmed even though 40 percent of its data has been corrupted."

"Dang." Rick mumbled.

"Fortunately," interrupted the general. "I found out that you were able to seek Corporal Anderson's help in backing up their OSes, as well as to reinforce the cockpit's inner walls with some form of anti-EMP coating, if I heard it right from Mr. Guele."

"Yes, sir. I was fortunate too when I planned ahead."

"In that case," smiled General Kowen. "you'd better rest up. I was informed by the doctors that your wounds are healing quite well since you happen to be a Coordinator and you're to be back on duty after a week."

"Um, sir!" shouted Rick to get the general's attention as he was about to leave the room. "What are my orders?"

"Orders will be given out when you recover, Sergeant." General Kowen then excused himself before leaving the area.

"We better leave too. We can't disturb the kid while he's resting to recover from his wound" Andy said while motioning DaCosta to come along. "Get well soon, youngster."

"Darn it! My name's not youngster! It's Rick!" Rick yelled back before being warned by Talia.

"Careful now, Rick." advised Talia. "Your wound could reopen."

"Fine." Rick huffed, leaning back on his bed before facing Talia. "You know, I have to thank you for what you did last night. If you weren't there, I'd be a goner."

Talia smiled. "No. I was glad to help you. I'm your friend, remember?" Rick then nodded his head before he said, "The way you told me to calm down sure made you remind me of my mom."

"Really?" Talia answered, blushing a bit. "Well, I did have a so..." She stopped when she noticed that he frowned a bit. "I'm sorry Rick, I..."

Rick shook his head, shaking. "Don't be. Most of the soldiers who joined in the EURM threw away their chance to be with their families since we were branded traitors. Looks like I don't anything to throw away here except my life since my family died back in OMNI's invasion of Orb when an artillery shell killed them when I, on the other hand, was injured."

"Rick..." _Rick, what's wrong with you?_

Rick suddenly laughed a bit menacingly. "I should have died with them! I really should have been instead of participating in this revolt! Those OMNI artillery crewmen should have aimed a bit more to the right so's they can take me out too. Aha, ha ha..." Suddenly, the wounded Guardsman cringed a bit, curling his fists on the blanket. "Dammit. Why did mom and dad have to die?"

"Hey." Talia, who was seated on Rick's bed, moved close and hugged the teen. "It's okay, Rick. I'm here."

"Why? Why?" Tears crept out of his closed eyelids, seeping into Talia's arms as she wrapped her arms around him like a young boy who was reunited with his mother.

"It's okay, Rick." Talia gripped her arms around the teen, as if he was about to fall down from his bed or float away into space.

_What is this? What is this feeling?  
_

Talia felt her heart was beating twice as fast as it did when she placed Rick's head on her chest in order to conform him, arms still around him with her fingers playing with his black hair.

_Is this feeling that... I'm in love with Rick? _Talia blinked a bit. _No. It can't be._

There was one thing that Talia Gladys, ZAFT Commander and EURM mercenary knew for sure.

Richard Yamato Chung had a broken-hearted soul, waiting for his chance to redeem himself and move on._  
_

* * *

Command Center, OMNI Enforcer Contingent Camp, Pahang, Malaysia, Equatorial Union

"What?"

Neo snarled at Ian, learning of the news regarding the covert deployment of his 4-man OMNI infiltration team. The masked officer had dreaded at the news that the team's mission had failed.

"I'm afraid so, sir." insisted Ian, adjusting his service cap. "At 0500 hours, an announcement came from the EURM that the team had been captured. Captain Layton and Lieutenant Junior Grade Kang had been confirmed dead through our contact with the DMI. Only Lieutenant Commander Fischer and Lieutenant Madikizela were confirmed to be alive."

"Is there any evidence to their testimony?" asked Neo, wanting to confirm the truth.

"The EUNN, from their links to the ONC, had obtained footage showing weapons and equipment used, especially the used EMP bomb casing. The bodies of Captain Layton and Lieutenant Junior Grade Kang had been showed, with their faces exposed while their bodies were drapped over."

"This is bad." Neo gritted his teeth, checking over the photos obtained from the EUNN footage. "Have the troops been informed of this?"

"Officially, no." Ian shook his head. "But they were informed of the said events from several radio AM channels. I've seen that some of them were discouraged over their capture."

"In that case, we have to move fast." Neo said. "Any reinforcements?"

"Yes, Captain." Ian activated the holographic map of Southeast Asia, using his right index finger to point out the areas to Neo. "As of 1000 hours, I've received communications from Pacific Command while you were at another meeting with Equatorial Union Army officers. More mobile suits and infantry will be transiting to Thailand shortly from Okinawa at 1700 hours. They'll be escorted by Arkansas class ships from the Republic of East Asia as means of protection."

"We'll also need to restock on supplies." added Neo. "Are they included in the transfer?"

"Of course, Captain." nodded Ian in reply. "The restocking of basic supplies, including foodstuffs, will have to take some time. Given our supply levels, we can be ready for any operations against the EURM starting next week."

* * *

Intensive Care Unit, EUA Pasir Ris Hospital, EUA Pasir Ris, Singapore, Equatorial Union

"Sergeant Chung." An EURM soldier had entered the room with his ST Kinetics SAR-24 rifle slinged on his shoulder, informing Rick of some news. "You have some visitors to see you."

"Send them in." Rick motioned the soldier to let them in. He was surprised when he knew who the visitor was, Rick seated up in order to see who it was.

"Dr. Coast?" whispered the injured Guardsman. "What the? I thought you were still in the PLANTs."

"Surprised?" grinned the ZAFT soldier. "I was among the team that operated on your leg wound." He then eyed the blanket that covered his legs. "How is it?"

"It's fine, Mikhail." admitted Rick, lightly touching the area where his wound was, feeling it with his right index finger on the blanket. "I admit, I feel a bit of pain. But really, doc. What brought you back here?"

"I did an operation too on Edward." Rick was stunned to hear about his comrade's name. "Relax," assured Mikhail. "he's fine. In fact, Jess Rable was the one who brought him in for me to look at. He should be fine, even though he has some gunshot wounds."

"He." Rick grinned, still seated up on his bed. "Looks like I owe Jess the Rable for that." He then focused his conversation towards his own condition, "Listen, about my..."

Mikhail brushed his concerns off. "It's just a scratch anyway. It's natural for people who recover from surgery to have a teeny bit of concern about the pain. Be thankful you're a Coordinator since you can recover after a week."

"Yeah." Rick took a glass of water and drank its content before replacing it back on a small night table next to him. "Say, are you the only one who's coming to see me now? I just had some visitors a while ago and the guard had better not be kidding abot you here."

Mikhail grinned at the patient. "Of course I do. It just so happens that she's already here. In fact, she accompanied me here on my back here to the base."

"What?" Rick was confused by Mikhail's statement. "I didn't know that."

"Hi there!"

Rick was stunned by the voice. It sounded feminine and it sounded... sexy. His face suddenly turned red at the thought of it. _Say, that voice is familiar. Where did I hear that from?_

"So you were the one who I attacked back then during the invasion of this base?"

_Rachel did say that Ed had a guest of us? Is it her? _Turning his head towards where the voice, Rick was also stunned to find out who his other "visitor" was when he noted the female visitor was blonde.

"Hmmmm..." The blonde woman walked to the vacant chair next to his bed. "I didn't realize that the Richard Yamato Chung that the brass told us about was only a teenager and yet, you were able to play key roles when the EURM declared a rebellion against the government." Seeing that his presence was not needed, Mikhail left the intensive care unit to let Rick mind his own business.

"Say, are you..."

"I'm Jane." Jane offered her hand out. "Jane Houston."

"Nice to meet you, Ms. Houston." Rick shook hands with her. "So you're known as the White Whale, as well as the pilot of the GAT-706S Deep Forbidden. I heard that ZAFT is higly afraid of you."

Jane nodded. "I'm an elite when it comes to underwater combat, though I can fight on the land too."

"Wow." Rick was marveled at Jane's appearance. "I didn't know that my opponent was beautiful." Blushing, Rick covered his mouth to hide his mistake.

"I feel the same way." Jane said, giggling before she sat on Rick's bed.

"Uhhh..." Rick's face suddenly became red when Jane's hands grabbed it and leaned her face close to her.

"For an enemy such as yourself, you're kinda cute." Jane grinned. "What say you and me work something out after this thing's over?"

"I can't." gasped Rick, realizing that their faces were close that Jane could really kiss him.

"Why not?" Jane frowned.

"'Cause I'm looking for someone." answered Rick. _And that happens to be Murrue herself._

"She's not your girlfriend, right?" Jane said, trying to apply psychological warfare on him.

"Yes." Rick said, before blurting out another answer. "Er, I mean no!"

"Who cares anyway?" Jane was slowly leaning her face to his. "I bet I'm much prettier than her."

_Help me. _Rick couldn't resist staring at Jane's lips. _Somebody, please. Don't kiss me! I'm planning to save that part for Murrue only, not you!  
_

"Ahem!"

Jane stopped in her tracks, eyeing Talia standing on the doorway. _Damn! Just when I about to go for the kill..._

"What do you think you're doing?" Talia eyed Jane with suspicion from the doorway.

"Oh nothing!" Jane moved away from Rick before things became complicated for her. "I just wanted to see if he's all right."

Talia huffed. _A likely story._

"Well, I have to go." Jane stood up from her seat. Before she left, the blonde turned around and winked at Rick "It was nice meeting you."

Groaning, Rick slumped back and rested his back against the comfort of his pillow. "What did I do to deserve this?" mumbled the Guardsman, closing his eyes while inhaling and exhaling his breath. He could hear footsteps approach the right side of his bed before it became silent.

"What was she doing here?"

When Rick opened his eyes, he found that he was staring into the glaring eyes of Talia, who was watching him carefully.

"I don't know really!" Rick insisted. "The next thing I knew, it felt like she wanted to kiss me. Honest!" Talia decided not to ask any questions further. "But really, what are you doing here?"

"Oh that." replied Talia. "I was told to inform you that you need to speak with your friends as soon as you're discharged. I think it has something to do about your next mission."

"Okay." Leaning back on his bed, Rick sighed with his hands curled up on his blanket before he felt a hand touching his. _Wha?_

"Look at me."

Rick tiredly opened his eyelids, looking at Talia's concerned face.

"Rick." began Talia, hands still on Rick's. "I want to let you know that whatever problems you have on the way," Talia squeezed Rick's right clenched hand gently. "I just want to be there to help you along."

Rick smiled, a genuine and kind smile that he had not done since the death of his parents and his allegiance to the EURM.

"Thanks, Talia. You're really a friend that I can on for help."

Chapter 17 END

PS - This could be my last update for now since I'm heading to California for the holidays with family. Anyway, I'd like to tell you readers/reviewers that the story's about to end, but not yet. I'm not going to spoil anything for now, but I can tell you there's going to be a happy ending. Yes, I had enough of angsty stories for now. Though I can do them, they're not my usual thing after all.

Somone had asked if I plan to do a Destiny sequel after this a few chapters back. The answer is yes, I do have plans in mind. However, I plan to do a full-blown Gundam SEED story from Phase 1 of the series. Seems that I'm inspired by good ol' Solid Shark to do it. Again, not revealing too much details, but I plan for the protagonist to be an Orb national instead of someone from a neutral nation, bu that could change. With that, I'm holding any attempts to upload said sequel since I'm going back to do other fanfics of my main OC. Just check my stories out. Also, I talked with Solid Shark in several PMs over Rick's possible cameo appearance in a BOAF sequel and he said that he's open to the idea and is very optimistic about putting him in the story himself with my help. Expect Rick (and possibly, his posse) to show up.

Haven't worked on anything that much lately since I had to spend time studying for the finals that happened a few days ago and I was busy playing MG: Portable Ops on the PSP handheld, which I pre-ordered a few months ago and I'm addicted to it, especially finding KGB, GRU and Ocelot soldiers via wireless signals, which I admit is the coolest thing about the game (As a favorite, the Ocelot troopers are cool, followed by the KGB ones with the GRU ones last, but I still like them!). As such, expect to see references from the game as well in subsequent chapters. The Destiny sequel will also have it too. Guess I got too influenced by Solid again, but I love Portable Ops! I can't do anything about it! Currently, I'm trying to see if I can a limited edition of Portable Ops from Japan with a Woodland camo PSP. Loved the way it looked!

As a final message, I'd like to say Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year to all the readers/reviewers and thank you for reading and reviewing, giving much more confidence to finish this story soon. I'll update again in 2007. This chapter's my gift for all of you. As usual, more humor with a little bit of romancy parts in there for the mix. However, romance isn't my main cup of coffee since I prefer action, adventure and tragedy stories. I'll follow it up in the next chapters with more action and drama.

As usual, read and let me know how it went in the reviews. Thanks, all and happy holidays again. ; )


	18. Push Forward

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED/Kidou Senshi Gundam SEED: Rebellion

By: Ominae

Rating: T

NOTE:

Concept of the Gundam SEED series are under the copyright of Mitsuo Fukuda, Bandai and Sunrise. Cameo appearances of characters from Mobile Suit Gundam: Lost War Chronicles are under the copyright of Bandai Games, Masato Natsumoto and Tomohiro Chiba. Cameo appearance of Sophia DiFalco and other elements of Birds of a Feather are a courtesy from Solid Shark. All other characters and technology (weapons, vehicles) are under my jurisdiction, with some exceptions.

Summary:

Rick, injured during a scuffle between him and a survivor of the covert OMNI special ops team a night ago, has been recuperating for a few weeks in EUA Pasir Ris' hospital so as to recover from his injuries. Assisting him in his recovery was none other than Talia Gladys, former guest lecturer in Rick's high school days prior to his national service. Will her actions have any effect in the course of the civil war? Stay tune to this chapter to find out.

Chapter 18: Push Forward

Near outskirts of Main Building, EUA Pasir Ris, Singapore, Equatorial Union

"All right! Move it, guys! We're being called!"

Renegade Equatorial Union Guardsmen ran towards their assigned area in front of the base's main building after they were being called for a special meeting before they were about to be sent out for another mission.

Among those who were summoned for a debriefing were Rick's National Servicemen colleagues, detailed with the Equatorial Union Guard's 3rd Guards Battalion. They, like all Guardsmen, were decked in their berets, gloves and assault vests including various ST Kinetics SAR-24 assault rifles.

"Hope you guys got everything with you today." reminded Rick, who donned his Guards beret while running with his NSF comrades.

"Hey, Rick." said Hamid, running beside Rick. "Good thing you were able to quell those damn rumors. They were really bothering up." Rick only nodded in reply.

_So those rumors were about Ms. Gladys eh? _wondered Rick. For weeks, rumors had spread among the ranks of the EURM that Rick and Talia had a relationship since the latter was among those who had visited the wounded EURM Guardsman for the most part. Rick and Talia had to reassure them that they were merely friends, though Rick's NSF comrades were at hand to inflame the rumors themselves.

"Fall in!" ordered Rick, who was in formation alongside the other NSF Guardsman as other EURM soldiers were already in formation waiting for Major Bauer, General Kowen and other high-ranking EURM officers. Moments, General Kowen was accompanied by Major Bauer, Lieutenant Colonel Mishima and Captain de Gaulle.

"Thank you for coming." began General Kowen, with the other EURM officers standing alongside him. "I'm sure that most of you would want to get this civil war over with and resume your duties as protectors of this nation. So, I have great news for all of you."

When murmurs began to rise from their ranks, Captain de Gaulle decided to speak for General Kowen.

"We're about to launch an all-out assault on the remaining government-held areas at Tuas and in Woodlands. Our mission is to safely secure the Johor-Singapore Causeway and the Malaysia-Singapore Second Link bridges from being demolished and destroyed by government and OMNI forces. In order to do this, we'll split our forces into two groups." Having said the necessary information, Captain de Gaulle was motioned by General Kowen to let him do the rest of the talking. During the debriefing, the mercenary volunteers began to watch the debriefing from a distance.

"Lieutenant Colonel Mishima and Captain de Gaulle will lead some of our forces to secure the Malaysia-Singapore Second Link bridge while Major Bauer and I will coordinate the rest of our forces to secure the Johor-Singapore Causeway bridge. We'll be assisted later on by our mercenary allies during the operation."

Major Bauer then stepped forward, but still standing near the general. "All right! This operation is our last chance to secure our way to depose the president and secure the safe return of Mr. Luna safely from the Oceanic Union, as well as to bring back our country's neutrality stance from the rest of the Earth Alliance."

Loud cheers came from the EURM rebels, feeling motivated that they could get the civil war to an end and resume their main duties as the protectors of the Eqautorial Union.

* * *

Runway Curb, EUA Pasir Ris, Singapore, Equatorial Union

Rick, still equipped in Guards battle gear, stood in front of his NSF platoon with weapons at the ready.

"Rifles at the ready." Rick, taking the lead, placed the 30-round magazine from his right hand and slapped it on the empty ST Kinetics SAR-24 Carbine rifle and readily attached an Aimpoint 8000 red dot sight on its Picatinny railing. The others followed suit and cocked their rifles to ready a single bullet inside the rifle's barrel.

"Let's move!" Hamid yelled, motioning his NSF comrades to enter one of the Dirgantara Indonesia CN-235-300 transport aircrafts. He saw Rick was about to move to the CN-235-300 when he was being stopped by Sophia herself.

* * *

"Sophia." whispered Rick, noticing that Sophia was clad in her pilot suit.

"Ricky." Sophia bit on her lip. "You're really going to fight out there?"

Rick nodded, "The war's about to end." He then adjusted the rifle sling of his ST Kinetic SAR-24 Carbine. "And I want to be a part of that."

"I see." Sophia placed her left hand on his left shoulder while staring into his eyes. "I just want to let you know that I..." She began to have problems in continuing her line. "I..."

"Sophia." Rick smiled at her. "It's alright. I'll be fine."

"Rick, I don't know." Sophia had a frown on her face. "I-I'm worried about you."

"Don't worry about it, mate."

Rick saw Kate Madigan, dressed in his pilot suit, stood behind Sophia while holding his helmet. "I'll give her some company until you get back." The ponytailed blonde man grinned at Rick.

"Right." Rick then eyed Talia waving at him.

"Pardon me, folks." Rick then gave a mock salute while he ran towards the brown-haired woman.

* * *

"Er, Talia." Rick eyed an eyebrow when he stopped himself in his running, finding himself right next to Talia. "Is there something that I can do for you today?"

"I was told that I'm going to assist in communications since I'll be mobile with some of the others from the command center." said Talia, trying to give a smile, but ending to have a sad smile instead.

"Oh." Rick replied. "Okay, then. Is that it?"

Talia nodded, biting her lip. _If I could only tell you what's going on in my heart right now... _The woman swore that her heart was beating rapidly again. The same feeling she had yesterday.

"I'm sorry." Rick said, looking over his shoulder to see Hamid beckoning to him to head back to the CN-235-300. "I have to go, Talia. We'll talk later."

Talia sadly nodded, watching the NSF Guardsman board the CN-235-300 after he and Hamid had climbed the aircraft's boarding ramp before it rose up from the ground, sealing the plane's rear compartment before its propellers had been turned on.

The fight was about to start.

* * *

Living Room, Andrew Waltfeld's Residence, Somewhere in the Orb Union

"Is the news on today?" Kira asked Murrue, the former watching the wall clock with Lacus beside him.

"I believe it is."

The living room television showed the logo of the Orb News Channel, with the camera panning to the newscaster's table.

**"Good evening everyone. This is Thomas Jenkins for Breaking News. Word has just gotten around that EURM forces have made preparations to launch an assault on the remaining towns in Singapore, in particular the areas of Sembawang, Tuas and Woodlands. We have Yuki Omura on the scene reporting on this latest development. Yuki?"  
**

The television showed Yuki, wearing her ballistic helmet and kevlar vest, was inside a ST Engineering Terrex AV-81 Armored Fighting Vehicle (AFV) alongside other armed EURM infantry.

**"This is Yuki Omura, on Day 31 of the civil war on Yuki 360. We're currently en route to Woodlands where EURM forces are planning to launch an assault there. Yesterday, renegade F-7D jets have been dropped leaflets, urging civilians to immediately flee the said areas since it would be inevitable that urban warfare might take place."**

"That means," Kira gulped on his saliva. "Rick's going to fight out there. I really don't know if he'll make it back alive."

Lacus had her hand touching Kira's. "I really believe that he'll make it out there."

"Really?" Kira stared at Lacus, unsure of himself.

Lacus simply smiled. "I don't know. I just feel it in my heart."

Murrue sighed, listening to Lacus' words. She only had one wish for Rick.

_Rick, come back alive.  
_

* * *

Cargo/Passenger Area, Dirgantara Indonesia CN-235-300

"Okay, guys!" Rick spoke to his NSF Guardsmen comrades inside the plane. "This may be our last chance to win this war. To start, I'd like to say that it's an honor to be fighting with you guys ever since we revolted against the government."

With collective nods from the NSF Guardsmen, Rick spoke up again.

"In addition, we'll be parachuting in near the outskirts of Woodlands. Our main objective is to secure the Johor-Singapore Causeway bridge, which is currently under OMNI guard."

"But," Avir raised a hand up. "aren't they suppose to demolish it alongside the Malaysia-Singapore Second Link bridge. I mean, they could be done after we land?"

"That's why we're called the Equatorial Union Guards." insisted Timothy. "One of our main specialties is to strike at the enemy hard and fast."

"Thank you for bringing that point, Tim." nodded Rick, who stared at one of the crewmen who motioned to him that it was time to start preparations for parachuting. "Saddle up." Rick made sure his parachute pack was on his back. "We're being prepped up to move out. Just make sure the red armbands will be on later. We'll need later for visual identification with our comrades."

"Yes, sir!" replied the entire NSF Guards contingent in unison.

Rick lead his NSF Guards contingent to gather near the closed ramp. The crewman once again gave the signal for the ramp to open up, exposing the breeze of the jet streams inside. Once the ramp was fully opened, Rick was the first NSF Guardsman to jump from the CN-235-300 from the air after ensuring his SAR-24 Carbine was secured on his body. Hamid soon followed, with the others behind. After all of them were airborne, they had their arms placed on their side and legs fully straight in order to make their descent into the earth faster.

Within a few more miles from the earth, Rick pulled his parachute's ripcord so as to let the parachute open from his backpack. The other Guardsmen followed Rick in unison and pulled the ripcords from their backpacks too.

* * *

Outskirts of Woodlands, Singapore, Equatorial Union

_Good! It only started._

Landing about 5 kilometers away from the town, Rick hastily removed his parachute pack before the other Guardsmen were able to land.

"Thank god we landed." murmured Hamid, removing his used parachute pack.

"Everyone!" yelled Rick. "Gather your used parachute packs right here!" When all the NSF Guardsmen had gathered their used parachute packs, Davan had pulled out an incendiary grenade and pulled its safety pin before tossing it to the pile, making sure that the pile was burning before Rick motioned the group to enter the city under the cover of heavy fighting.

* * *

Street Block, Woodlands, Singapore, Equatorial Union

"Move it!"

EURM Special Strike Force commandos began moving up in a section of the town, already cleared of civilians after making sure that no loyalist or OMNI soldiers were in the area. Regular EURM infantry were busy exchanging fire from the safety of abandoned vehicles that they used to blockade part of the street as means of protection while their Special Strike Force comrades were moving from cover.

"Sorry we're late!" An EURM officer, with the rank of Captain, saw Rick arriving in the area with the other Guardsmen behind.

"Thank god you guys are here." nodded the captain. "We've been pinned down by loyalist Marines in the next corner. One of my guys was gunned down so far."

"Any support?" asked Rick, who was kneeling next to the captain.

"We've heard radio reports that OMNI tanks are in the area." The captain scratched his cheek. "So far we haven't seen them yet."

"Sir!" One of the EURM soldiers said, listening to his portable radio. "We've just gotten word that OMNI tanks are incoming any minute now."

"Do we have anything that we can use?" asked Hamid.

"I remember you guys specialize in using those things." The captain pointed to two launchers mounted with an LCD display on it placed near the makeshift barricade. "It was dropped by the regs for you guys."

"Mike, Clark." instructed Hamid. "Get the launchers. Jamie, Jouji, go get the missiles." The four Guardsmen went to work and placed the two launchers on each corner of the block that they were in, making sure that they were near the barricade for their own safety.

"Good thing that the army uses the Cornershot Panzerfaust rocket launcher system." murmured Alec, scanning the area in front of the barricade when he noticed two OMNI tanks approaching them, followed by some loyalist mobile suits.

"Hey!" yelled Alec, getting the attention of his comrades. "The tanks are coming! And they have mobile suit backup too!"

"Any word?" The captain asked his radio operator, panic already setting in his voice.

"Alec, visuals on the tank?" asked Rick, booting up the Cornershot Panzerfaust's OS.

"They seem to be from the Atlantic Federation." replied Alec, preparing to fire his SAR-24 Carbine at the incoming enemy soldiers.

"Our mobile suit teams are coming in about 5 minutes, sir." yelled the radio operator, his voice almost being drowned with the sound of linear tank and small arms fire, followed by sounds of grenades being lobbed at against the barricade.

"We don't have 5 minutes." grunted Rick, who was inputting commands on one of the Cornershot Panzerfaust launchers with Davan on the other launcher while EURM Special Strike Force and regular infantry soldiers were keeping the enemy back with their SAR-24 rifles and their ST Kinetics 60 underbarrel grenade launchers. "Davan, you ready?"

"Ready!" Davan gave a thumbs up.

"Fire!"

The two Cornershot rocket launchers fired its High Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) warheads straight for the two Atlantic Federation Linear Tanks, taking them both of commission after the warheads made contact with the said tanks since the warheads that the Guards use were modified to have tandem-charges.

"Incoming!" shouted the captain, now seeing EURM Strike and Buster Daggers arriving to reinforce their position by using M703 beam rifles, 350 mm and 94 mm gun launcher to take out the incoming loyalist Primus, Long, Duel and Strike Daggers.

"Get them!" Hamid shouted, firing his SAR-24 Carbine. He was then able to gun down loyalist Marines while some of the other NSF Guardsmen fired 40 mm grenades from their ST Kinetics 60 grenade launcher, netting in more kills from hitting the other loyalist Marines that tried to blitz towards the barricade while a select few used rifle fire to gun down a few more loyalist Marines.

"We need to head out to the Johor-Singapore Causeway." Rick asked the captain. "Can you give us some cover fire so we can move out?"

"You can count on it." The captain ordered all available EURM forces to concentrate their fire on the loyalist and OMNI Marine while the EURM mobile suits gave the EURM infantry forces some cover fire too.

"Let's go!" Rick lead the way, aiming his SAR-24 Carbine as he and his NSF Guardsman comrades ran on the same path that the Special Strike Force commandos had used, away from the makeshift barricade towards the direction of the Johor-Singapore Causeway bridge.

* * *

Near Johor-Singapore Causeway, Woodlands, Singapore, Equatorial Union

"Look at that." whispered Rick, amazed by what he saw.

Near the Singapore side of the Johor-Singapore Causeway bridge, heavily armed OMNI units were seen patrolling the area with some Radar Trucks parked nearby with a couple of Missile Trucks alongside it. On the waters near the bridge, three OMNI Des Moines and Fraser class ships were patrolling nearby as a support force.

"What's the game plan?" asked Hamid, who was crouching in the bushes with Rick and the other NSF Guardsmen.

"Get some of the guys to reduce their numbers and plant charges on the vehicles. That way, we'll have less things to worry about." Rick gave the instructions to his XO. Moments later, Hamid and a few NSF Guardsmen silently sneaked up on the OMNI guard force using the natural cover of the forest nearby as cover. Hamid and a couple of the Guardsmen had covertly eliminated some of the OMNI soldiers by snapping their necks and slitting their throats with their Fairbarn Sykes P1 commando knives from behind while others began to secretly plant explosives on the Missile and Radar Trucks parked near the road leading to the Johor-Singapore Causeway bridge.

* * *

Bridge,_ Des Moines _class ship, _EFS Chirac_

"How's everything out there so far?" asked the EFS (Eurasian Federation Ship) Chirac's captain, who had recently entered the bridge.

"Everything's quiet, sir." replied a crewmember, who was working on the ship's navigation system. "Our EOD experts are busy making preparations to plant the explosives on the Johor-Singapore Causeway bridge."

"I hope so." huffed the captain. "I'm getting tired of conducting guard duty ever since we came over from Paris a few weeks ago."

"Captain!" yelled the sonar operator. "Something's rapidly approaching at us from somewhere in the water!"

"Distance?" The captain asked.

"It's fast approaching, sir!" The sonar operator replied. "Distance 300, 200, 100, 50, oh my god..."

Moments later, the EFS Chirac shook violently where it stood in the Strait of Johor until a strange object pierced the center of the ship.

* * *

Near Johor-Singapore Causeway, Woodlands, Singapore, Equatorial Union

"Look at that..." whispered Alec, seeing a giant trident pierce the EFS Chirac before the weapon was retracted, letting the damaged ship explode.

"We're under attack!" yelled one of the OMNI soldier, aiming his Colt M-18 assault rifle at the Strait of Johor. Moments later, a mobile suit emerged from the strait with its trident at hand.

"It's the Deep Forbidden." Rick was amazed that Jane would actually fight towards the end of the civil war by actually participating in their skirmish.

"Fire at the mobile suit!" yelled one of the OMNI soldiers, getting the Missile Trucks to activate its multiple rocket launchers.

"Hamid, now." hissed Rick, gesturing to his comrade to activate the explosives while hiding behind the foliage of the area. Minutes later, the Missile and Radar Trucks were destroyed in an instant.

"What the hell?" An OMNI soldier shouted, seeing the vehicles blown up to bits before he was shot in the back by assault rifle gunfire.

"Attack!" Rick was the first to emerge from the bushes, firing his SAR-24 Carbine by using his Aimpoint 8000 to conduct snap shooting at the OMNI soldiers by utilizing head shots, without targeting their bodies covered by their tactical vests. The other NSF Guardsmen followed by either using their SAR-24 Carbines or their ST Kinetics 60 grenade launchers at the other OMNI troops since their blitzkrieg-style attack on the guard force had resulted in utter confusion, which gave them problems in fighting back against the Guardsmen.

"Radio for reinforcements at once!" yelled one of the surviving OMNI soldiers to a radio operator, minutes before he was shot to death by rifle bullets to his chest. "Uwah!"

In the air, unaware by either the attacking Guardsmen or the OMNI soldiers, a familiar mobile armor was flying in the sky, assisting the Deep Forbidden by firing two AIM-957F King Cobra missiles at another Des Moines class ship, which fired its CIWS machine guns at it. The two missiles made contact, hitting the bridge and the bow, resulting in two explosion before Jane made short work of the burning ship by using the Deep Forbidden's Close Combat Mode, making the mobile suit resemble a crab when looking at it from the top when it used its phonon maser cannon from a distance to finish it off. It later dived back into the water when the other Des Moines and Fraser class ships fired its CIWS and VLS weapons at it.

From a distance, a MBF-M1A M1A Astray and a YFX-200 CGUE DEEP Arms entered the fight unseen by the two warring parties. The former aimed its Type 71-44 Kai sniper rifle and the latter aimed its left JDP8-MSY0270 thermal energy cannon before firing at two Fraser class ships that attacked the Deep Forbidden's last seen spot in the strait.

"That's..." Rick was surprised to see who it was. "That's Ed the Ripper's mobile armor." Moments later, two energy beams erupted from above and penetrated the bow portions of the two Fraser class ships, which made the two ships explode.

"Hey." Hamid turned around to see the MBF-M1A M1A Astray and the YFX-200 CGUE DEEP Arms firing their weapons at the enemy mobile suits that came to reinforce the OMNI force nearby, mainly OMNI Long and Duel Daggers. "It's Barry and Shiho! They're back!"

**"Hey there, guys!" **greeted Edward, doing a barrel roll to avoid the gunfire from the anti-aircraft machine gun batteries. **"Don't worry about us. Just make sure you peeps get the bridge before they blow it up!" **Edward ended his introduction by attacking the batteries with the GAT-333 Raider Full Spec's M2M3 76 mm machine guns.

* * *

Entrance, Singapore State Border, Johor-Singapore Causeway Bridge, Singapore, Equatorial Union

_Right. _Seeing that the situation was in their favor, Rick and the others charged towards the entrance of the Johor-Singapore Causeway bridge, gunning down OMNI soldiers that were lingering there with fast precision, leaving the defenders unaware of their position since they were busy guarding the entrance with their lives even though they were able to fire some shots from their Colt M-18 assault rifles.

"We made it!" yelled Clark, aiming his SAR-24 Carbine at the end of the bridge, firing to take out the OMNI demolition experts that were trying to prepare the explosives on the bridge.

"Shit!" shouted Jouji. "Hey, big guy!" The NSF Guardsmen loaded a 40 mm grenade into his ST Kinetics 60 grenade launcher. "We got some trouble up ahead."

"Must be the EODs that were trying to sabotage the bridge." murmured Rick. "Hey, Hamid! Are there any reinforcements coming?"

"I think I hear something." said Jamie, listening to the sounds of a motor running until several Kawasaki KLR250R and ST Kinetics Light Strike Vehicles came roaring down the road leading to the bridge, bearing regular EURM Guardsmen who had came to assist Rick's group by having the Light Strike Vehicles fire their ST Kinetics 50 machine guns at the OMNI forces lingering in the middle of the bridge. "Yikes!" Having several bullets whiz past his head, Jamie crouched and retaliated by firing his SAR-24 Carbine while peering through his Aimpoint 8000 scope, killing two OMNI soldiers guarding the combat engineers when he fired several shots on their chests.

"All right!" Rick was the first to enter the Johor-Singapore Causeway bridge from the Singapore side. "Hurry up! Let them handle the rest!" yelled the Staff Sergeant, referring to the Guards reinforcements. "We have to secure the bridge before they blow it up!"

Rick and Hamid then charged through the bridge while firing their SAR-24 Carbines, followed by Avir, Davan, Jamie, Clark and the other NSF Guardsmen as they entered the bridge in order to secure it from damage.

_Me thinks we need more firepower. Like a Davy Crockett rocket perhaps with a Flying Horse... _thought Hamid, squeezing several shots from his SAR-24 Carbine, killing off three OMNI soldiers in his sights.

* * *

Entrance, Malaysian State Border, Johor-Singapore Causeway Bridge, Singapore, Equatorial Union

Near the entrance of the Johor-Singapore Causeway bridge from the Malaysian side, two GAT-02L2 Dagger Ls painted in black, which was the color of Phantom Pain, were conducting reconnaissance on the bridge. As such, the two mobile suits were only armed with M703K beam carbines. The two watched as OMNI troops were being killed by Rick and the rest of the NSF Guardsmen, mercilessly pursuing their mission to secure the bridge from damage.

**"Looks like the situation's getting bad." **commented the first Dagger L pilot. **"Those EURM Guards are putting up a fight against our guys. Seems like we won't be able to bomb the bridge."**

**"So what do we do now?" **asked the second Dagger L pilot. He then watched OMNI forces as they mobilize to retake the bridge with loyalist support in the form of a few Bionix-2 IFVs being deployed to assist them, though some of them were being killed. **"Those mercenary mobile suits are backing them up."**

**"I know. They're even shooting up our EODs prepping up the charges."**

**"Looks like it. They're lightly armed with pistols. Besides, none of them survived." **

**"Yea. Let's get out of here." **The first Dagger L made a turn back away from the bridge, refusing to see the EURM Guardsmen checking the corpses of the dead combat engineers. **"We have to report this to Captain Roanoke. I don't think we have to stick around."**

**"Why? **The second Dagger L followed the first anyway since he was clueless. **"Are we going to tell him..."**

**"Yea." **answered the first Dagger L, who seemed a bit pessimistic of the situation on the Johor-Singapore Causeway bridge.

**"Captain Roanoke has to know that the sabotage mission has failed." **

Chapter 18 END

PS - Just got back from the holidays in California. Was a nice thing too. I even got to shoot an Accuracy International sniper rifle and man, I was adapt to loading the 7.62 NATO in mere seconds, though my aim was a bit off due to possibly from my contacts.

I'll be ending this story soon. Just a few chapters to go, as I've told some of those who have read this story. Besides, I've got other stories that I have planned out for this new year. There'll be more action in the upcoming chapters.

Before I go, have a happy 2007 and Happy New Year to all those who read and review this story! Really appreciated it and it made part of 2006 the best for me. Cheers mates!

PS - Did anyone spot the MGS: Portable Ops reference?


	19. Hindrances

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED/Kidou Senshi Gundam SEED: Rebellion

By: Ominae

Rating: T

NOTE:

Concept of the Gundam SEED series are under the copyright of Mitsuo Fukuda, Bandai and Sunrise. Cameo appearances of characters from Mobile Suit Gundam: Lost War Chronicles are under the copyright of Bandai Games, Masato Natsumoto and Tomohiro Chiba. Cameo appearance of Sophia DiFalco and other elements of Birds of a Feather are a courtesy from Solid Shark. All other characters and technology (weapons, vehicles) are under my jurisdiction, with some exceptions.

Summary:

With most of Singapore removed of OMNI and loyalist forces, the EURM had firm control over the former nation state. On the other hand, two Phantom Pain Dagger Ls were seen spying on the said assault on the Johor-Singapore Causeway Bridge before they made a quick escape from the area. What will happen next? Can OMNI forces in mainland Southeast Asia still muster the force to assist loyalist forces against an EURM-led invasion and hinder the EURM's attempt to march into Malaysia and oust their pro-OMNI president for good? Stay tune to this chapter to find out.

Chapter 19: Hindrances

Command Center, OMNI Enforcer Contingent Camp, Pahang, Malaysia, Equatorial Union

"WHAT?"

The shouts of Captain Neo Roanoke had echoed throughout the entire camp; all cringed after hearing it since it meant that bad news was coming for him.

"I'm afraid so, sir." said Ian, who also began to sweat from Roanoke's shouting. "I've received a report from our scout units that the Johor-Singapore Causeway Bridge sabotage operation has failed. The bridge was taken by EURM Guard forces as of 1200 hours."

"Great." Roanoke muttered under his breath. "This is just really great."

"Captain Roanoke!"

An OMNI soldier, with the rank of Crewman 1st Class, was inside the tent panting hard for breath near the entrance of the command center.

"Captain Roanoke! There's some urgent news!"

"Yes, what is it?" frowned the masked officer.

"We've got some reports that some EURM forces have made their way in Malaysia." said the soldier.

"Dammit!" Roanoke shouted, making the soldier cringe where he stood when he banged his clenched fist on the digital hologram of the Johor-Singapore Causeway Bridge area . "Is there anything else that brightens my day, huh?"

"But sir." insisted the soldier. "Aside from that, we've been getting some unconfirmed reports that EURM forces in the Indochina region are currently engaging government forces in the said area with some of them hastily retreating back to Malaysia."

_I see. _Neo frowned, looking at the tactical map and made marks on it, indicating on the latest gains that the EURM had seized after deactivating the hologram. "Any news on the president himself?"

"We've got reports from CIA regarding that, Captain." Ian answered on behalf of the soldier standing near the entrance to the command center. "According to those reports, President Chua is holding himself up in the Seri Perdana, defying the EURM's success in capturing the Johor-Singapore Causeway and the Malaysia-Singapore Second Link Bridge when a propaganda video was broadcasted on Channel 18, which was captured in Singapore before the Johor-Singapore offensive."

"Sir?" The Crewman 1st Class soldier asked Captain Roanoke for his answer. The masked OMNI officer began to formulate some strategies on his brain before Neo issued his orders. "Any orders?"

"Assemble the remaining forces to defend the Department of Defense and the Seri Perdana. Augment extra forces for President Chua's safety with the rest of the government forces. They'll need all the help they can get."

"Yes, sir." The soldier saluted Neo before leaving the command center.

"Ian," Neo faced his subordinate. "I want you to take charge of the situation from the command center while I'm away." Neo was now outside the command center when his subordinate called for his attention.

"Understood, Captain." Ian nodded, though he was a bit confused by his superior's words. "But what about you?"

"Just get the Windam ready immediately." ordered Neo, grinning while lightly shouting to answer him from outside. "It'll be worth the while to confront that kid..."

_And when I say kid, I mean Richard Chung. He proved to be a worthy opponent and I could get my chance to fight him again. _Still grinning, Neo stared at his Windam with something in mind for his adversary as he walked towards his mobile suit.

_I'll need something to catch him off his guard. And I think I have the perfect idea for that._

* * *

Center of Johor-Singapore Causeway Bridge, near Malaysia State Border, Equatorial Union

**"Yes sir." **Clark was reporting in to General Kowen via radio transmitter which was provided to him by EURM 1st Commando Brigade soldiers while combat engineers were carting away the last of the disarmed explosives. **"All the explosives were disarmed. SNB commandos are busy searching the area underneath the bridge for the other explosives said to be planted a while ago. I was informed that they could be used for the later sieges, General. Yes sir, I understand. He'll be informed at once, sir."**

"Not bad." Rick said, looking at the waters from the strait to see Special Naval Brigade commandos patrolling the Strait of Johor while they were busy inspecting the bridge's support beams underneath for explosives while Special Strike Force commandos began to check the corpses of OMNI combat engineers.

"Hey, big boss." Rick frowned when Clark called his attention. "Just got word from General Kowen. We've been ordered to mobilize at once."

"At once?" asked Hamid, standing beside Rick. "Don't you think we need a break?"

"There's no rest for the wicked, Hamid." Rick said, slightly glaring at him. "To be honest, I wish we could but we don't have time or luxury for that one."

"Some of the guys who've taken the Malaysia-Singapore Second Link Bridge have begun a diversion. According to the general, they've staged an attack against OMNI forces stationed beyond the bridge." replied Clark, fixing his red beret.

"And the orders?" asked Rick.

"We're to launch an assault on both the Department of Defense and the Seri Perdana. Our intel sources tell us that the president's being held up there for the last week."

"How can we do that?" asked Hamid. "In order to do that, we'll need to divide our forces or get some of the mercenaries to help us."

"I'll have that arranged." said Rick. Raising his arm up high, he then moved it forward after turning his head around and shouted,

"Onward to Malaysia!"

* * *

Secretary Yusof's Office, Department of Defense, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Equatorial Union

**"You heard me!" **

Secretary Yusof was shouting to someone at the end of the other line, sending out his orders.

**"It doesn't matter now. Send a message to all active commanders in the field to bolster the defenses in Malaysia. Yes, and call out the reserves as much as possible." **When he heard the caller answering him, the defense secretary replied. **"Jail those who don't answer the call to report to their district! That's an order!"**

"Sir!"

Yusof saw his secretary was outside, knocking on his opened door.

"Is there something?"

"Sir, I've received a call from the Seri Perdana. Captain Roanoke requests permission to have some of his men bolster the defenses around the building."

"When was this?" Yusof massaged his aching head.

"A while ago."

Yusof sighed, there was nothing he could do if it was the order of the president. Especially since EURM forces are already beginning to enter on Malaysian soil in order to complete of the Equatorial Union's "liberation".

"Very well." Yusof spoke to his secretary. "Have Captain Roanoke speak with the district commander about it." As the secretary was about to leave, her attention was being called for.

"And one more thing."

"Sir?" asked the secretary.

"Umm..." Yusof pondered a bit before he said, "Never mind."

* * *

Near Johor-Singapore Causeway Bridge, Malaysia, Equatorial Union

"Good work guys." Rick debriefed his NSF Guardsmen comrades of their success. "Now that we have the bridge, we can move our forces to secure the rest of the mainland."

Cheers erupted from the NSF Guardsmen, ecstatic that they can get the civil war over as soon as possible.

Lowe and Canard came towards them, making Rick inform Hamid to debrief the rest of his comrades while he spoke to the two Junk Guild members.

"Lowe. Canard." greeted Rick, acknowledging them. "I trust that things are going smoothly."

"Yeah." grinned Lowe. "I got the spear ready for ya. It's hooked up in your Secundus' hip area and I made a holster for it."

"Thanks, Lowe." Facing Canard, he asked the ex-Special Operatives X agent on some inquiries. "Canard, any progress for the planned attack on the Defense Department building?"

"We're almost done with that part." answered the black-haired Coordinator. "All we need is the go-signal to start the assault."

"Right." Rick nodded. "Lowe, my mobile suit's ready?"

"Yeah." Lowe used his thumb to show him where it was, pointing from his rear. "It's over there, near the mobile command center."

* * *

"Alright!"

Donning an Equatorial Union pilot suit, Rick was inside the cockpit of his lone Secundus in order to get its OS operational.

"OS ready." murmured Rick. With that, Rick sealed the cockpit and made his Secundus stand on its two feet; EURM soldiers nearby moved out of it way lest they want to get injuries.

**"Hamid. You there?" **Rick activated his radio before speaking to his XO.

**"Yeah. I was told that I'll lead some of our guys to raid the Department of Defense. The others will take care of the Department of Home Affairs, the National Police HQ and the respective headquarters of the army, navy and air force."**

**"Understood. Just let me know about it later on."**

**"Okay."**

**"Also inform Major Bauer about sending some of our forces to the embassy district. They'll need the protection they can get while we begin to lay siege against the remaining loyalist and OMNI forces."**

**"Roger."  
**

* * *

Outskirts of Department of Defense, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Equatorial Union

"Make sure everything is in place!"

Neo was personally in charge of mounting OMNI defenses for the Department of Defense building in Kuala Lumpur. Civilians had been evacuated from the streets of the city after EURM flyers have warned them to flee to refugee areas for their own safety.

"Captain Roanoke." An OMNI soldier with a Lieutenant Commander rank saluted Neo. "The second Windam is in place, sir."

"Good work." Neo said. "We'll use the other Windam as a diversion. Get someone to pilot it."

"Understood, Captain."

_I can feel him. He's nearby. _Gritting his teeth, he asked the OMNI soldier to hurry and get his personal Windam ready.

"Sir!" An OMNI Marine had ran up to meet with the masked captain. "We've received word from the Equatorial Union army that the EURM has begun plans to launch an attack in Malaysian soil."

Neo didn't like the information that he had heard. _Is he there too? I can feel his presence._

"Captain, we've also received word that a small number of EURM Guardsmen are making preparations to mount an attack on the Seri Perdana in a few minutes."

"WHAT?" Neo was shocked with the latest information. "When was this information confirmed?"

"Right now we've arrived, sir. What..." The Marine was shoved aside as Neo ran toward his disembarked Windam near a group of OMNI Strike Daggers being mobilized to defend the Department of Defense building.

* * *

En route to Seri Perdana, somewhere in Johor, Malaysia, Equatorial Union

"So far, everything's quiet." murmured Rick, leading two other Secundus mobile suits with him alongside some EURM and mercenary mobile suits while their path was being cleared by EURM 1st Commando Brigade soldiers, fighting on the abandoned streets of Johor against OMNI forces. Alongside Rick were Luis and Avir. Davan, Tim and Hamid lead the attack on the Department of Defense where some of the OMNI forces are mounting a last stand against the EURM while General Kowen would lead the attack against other government buildings, including the headquarters of the NIB.

**"Hey, Rick." **Avir's helmeted face came on Rick's screen. **"I've got some audio feed for you about the news regarding our presence in Malaysia. Check it out." **Within minutes, an audio news feed was heard in Rick's cockpit. **"There's some interesting information."**

**"This is Yuki Omura reporting live near the Johor-Singapore Causebay Bridge from Singapore for Yuki 360. EURM rebels have recently taken the Johor-Singapore Causeway and Malaysia-Singapore Second Link bridges without any damage after Major Bauer has said that OMNI combat engineers had tried to demolish the two bridges with explosives, which would hinder their progress in entering Malaysia. As of now, EURM forces consisting of renegade special forces soldiers and mercenaries are undertaking a siege at the Department of Defense and the Seri Perdana. I've received unconfirmed reports that the buildings belonging to the National Police, the Home Affairs Department, the headquarters of the Equatorial Union army, navy, air force and the National Intelligence Bureau were simultaneously attacked by joint EURM-mercenaries with their ranks recently bolstered by more defections from the Equatorial Union military. We will keep you informed of the latest changes to follow."**

**"Great one, Avir." **Rick thanked Avir. **"I owe you one for the audio feed." **When he deactivated his radio connection with Avir, Rick suddenly felt a mysterious signal tingling on his brain, revealing a very familiar person.

_Something's not right. I can feel him. Is Roanoke nearby? That bastard... I better check on Hamid and see if he's all right.  
_

**"Hamid!" **Rick was quick enough to get radio access to his XO. **"Can you see a purple-looking mobile suit around the DOD building?"**

**"We've just started the siege!" **replied Hamid. **"Right now, Jean and Canard are leading the attack against entrenched OMNI mobile suits and tanks. But... Hey! What a minute?... I think I saw it.."**

**"Can you confirm the mobile suit? I repeat, can you confirm it?"**

**"I don't know." **Hamid's voice was in panic. **"Dammit! Get offa me!"**

**"Hamid!"**

**"Erhaaa!" **Rick knew that Hamid was trying to push something off him. **"Take that, you arrogant..."**

* * *

Outskirts of Department of Defense, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Equatorial Union

Shoving the Windam off him, Hamid drew out his Kris beam saber with the Windam drawing out his ES04B beam saber. The two mobile suits began to clash with one another while Hamid's allies began to lay siege on the DOD building.

"Strange." muttered the NSF Guards XO. "I heard that he's suppose to be a good pilot, but why is he fighting like one of the regs...?" His train of thought was diverted when the Windam used the blunt part of his beam saber to stun the Secundus before kicking him on its shin.

"Shit!" Falling down on the ground, the Windam was about to stab him when the Duel tackled him on the side.

"I see that I'm saved." Hamid commented, seeing the Duel draw out his own beam saber.

**"Idiot!" **Yzak's voice was on Hamid's radio. **"Don't lose your focus!" **Yzak was busy clashing beam sabers with the Windam.

_Right... _Assisted by Luis, the two Secundus pilots saw Gai and Andrew leading the attack, with them attacking the OMNI Buster and Long Daggers while others such as Shiho and Hilda provided firing cover from the side. Lowe preferred melee combat when he used his Gerbera Straight katana to slice a bunch of loyalist Primuses in the waist when he was able to disable 5 of them in a row after the Junk Guild Technician swung his katana to his left.

**"Come on, Luis. We better help them."** instructed Hamid, who brought out his ML-1 beam rifle to fire at the OMNI Linear Tanks that were coming to reinforce the building's defenders.

**"Right."** Luis, on the other hand, charged and unleashed his Armor Piercer knife and tossed it to another OMNI Linear Tank formation, striking the central tank with the blade before he grabbed it. The central tank then was engulfed in an explosion, with the others being caught in the explosion as well.

* * *

Outskirts of Seri Perdana, Putrajaya, Malaysia, Equatorial Union

"Strange..." Rick fired his ML-1 beam rifle on some loyalist Strike Daggers that were caught off guard when Rick's forces surprised the Seri Perdana's defenders. "Most of those present are just government troops with few OMNI forces. Why do I get the strange feeling that something's not right?"

Rick then felt a strange tingle in his brain again. _Can't be..._

**"Hamid!" **Rick called on his XO. **"Hamid, do you copy? I need the status of the purple mobile suit near the DOD building?"**

**"Rick. There's something strange about that mobile suit?"**

**"How so?" **While Rick asked, he used his Armor Piercer knife to stab the cockpit of a lone OMNI Strike Dagger that tried to sneak up behind him when he sensed the mobile suit's presence before grabbing the knife back, rendering the enemy mobile suit before it exploded.

**"Captain Neo Roanoke is a rising ace in the Atlantic Federation army. But the supposed mobile suit he's using is peculiar. It's like he's offering no resistance whatsoever. I've observed it fighting off some of the mercenary allies a while ago, Rick."**

_That is strange. Unless he's... wait a second! He's on my right. That frickin' smartass!  
_

Quickly facing to his right, Rick hastily drew out his beam saber and blocked the incoming ES04B beam saber slash from Neo's Windam fitted with the Aile Pack after it has jumped from a short distance in order to put the surprise on the EURM Guardsman.

"Whoa, pardner!" Rick said in a Texan accent, bringing his beam saber up to block Neo's parry. "There's no way you're gonna stab me with that thing, are ya?"

**"Looks like I underestimated you." **Neo laughed hard at his opponent from his Windam cockpit. **"It seems you were able to read my attack."**

**"So the other Windam near the Department of Defense was just a diversion eh Roanoke? Pretty shrewd, but you weren't able to fool me." **_Kuso! It looks like our insiders in the DMI weren't able to figure this out. Neo must have kept it secret in order to surprise us._

**"How true indeed! It seems you were able to figure out my plan, Rick. You're very brilliant." **Neo attempted to lunge at Rick's Secundus when he sidestepped. **"Unfortunately, I must put an end to you as ordered. You're a major threat to this country."**

**"No I'm not!" **sneered Rick, clashing his beam saber against Neo's. **"You and your OMNI kind are the real threat to this nations and to the other neutral nations. We'd be better off if OMNI was not established after what had happened in Copernicus!"**

**"I don't really care about that." **grinned Neo while he drew out another ES04B beam saber on the mobile suit's right hand since his left had wielded the first beam saber. **"I think it's for me to finish you off for good, you rebel scum!"**

_What the? Dual beam sabers? This is not good._

Rick had now been forced to fight on the defensive. Using his Hindalco anti-beam shield to defend him, Rick could only perform jabs and lunges while performing the vertical and horizontal beam swipe when he was only near Neo, only for him to jump a short distance away from him.

**"Dammit! Why don't you stay still?" **shouted Rick, executing a vertical beam swipe when Neo countered it by forming an X with his dual ES04B beam sabers blocking his Windam's chest area.

* * *

En route to the Department of Defense, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Equatorial Union

**"Ken!" **said Jake from his Primus cockpit. **"EURM forces are laying siege on the DOD. We've been ordered to relieve the defenders."**

**"I don't know." **answered Ken. **"I've received word that Roanoke has begun engaging Rick Chung in combat."**

**"So he can do the job for us then..."**

**"WRONG!" **snarled the blonde man. **"He may be our ally, but I don't find it considerate for the top brass to boss us around. I'm going to give him a piece of my mind. This is suppose to be our fight, not theirs!"**

**"Ken. wait!" **yelled Jake, watching Ken's Primus as it began its journey towards the Seri Perdana.

**"You better head to the DOD, Jake." **Ken said, giving his instructions before he ended his connection with him.

_And I'll take over Roanoke's job for myself._

* * *

Outskirts of Seri Perdana, Putrajaya, Malaysia, Equatorial Union

"Dammit!" Neo gritted his teeth when he fired his M2M5 Todesschrecken CIWS at Rick, who dodged it from left to right. His shots, unfortunately, destroyed an OMNI radar truck which was providing communication for OMNI and loyalist forces in the air. "He's fast!"

**"Hey!" **shouted Rick, bringing his beam saber up for a slashing attack. **"Where'd you learn to shoot like that?"**

**"Hmph!" **Neo was not impressed with Rick's remarks. **"Let's see you dodge this, my friend." **With his dual beam sabers at the ready, he began to swing the beam sabers in various moves such as swipes, stab, lunges and thrusts in fast succession. Rick's spatial awareness was able to assist him in fending off these attacks, with one swipe attack nearly cutting off the left arm that held his anti-beam shield.

_All this moving is giving me a workout. _grunted the EURM Guardsman, still trying to figure a way to get back on the offensive. Jumping back with help from his thrusters, he fired the MK-1 CIWS near Neo's Windam, forcing him to stop his beam saber assault against Rick.

**"Impressive!" **Neo mocked his opponent for intentionally firing his CIWS at the Windam's feet. Jumping back a few feet away from where the CIWS had fired on, he had failed to notice Rick had gone for another attack.

But this time, he had gone aerial.

"What the heck?" Neo blurted, who was too late to put up any kind of defense as Rick's Secundus was airborne, thanks to his vernier thrusters and executed a flying kick to the Windam's head area.

"Eiyah!" shouted Rick, exerting enough force on the flying kick meant for his rival.

"Ergghhh!" grunted Neo, who was not able to prevent his Windam from falling to the ground while fighting was still going on around, with the Seri Perdana defenders being slowly overwhelmed by EURM forces while EURM infantry provided ground support by taking out makeshift bunkers and entrenched Linear Tank positions with ST Kinetics Armburst anti-tank weapons. EURM special forces units were on hand in engaging government and OMNI forces in small arms and sometimes, melee combat.

_Someone's coming for me, but from where?_

Rick had sensed an incoming enemy's presence. Behind him, an OMNI Duel Dagger began to run towards Rick under the assumption that he was not aware of his presence. Deactivating his beam saber and holstering it, Rick reached out for the holster on the Secundus' belt and activated the rod placed on it.

Changing to a long spear with a collapsible spearhead, Rick turned around to face his adversary as the Duel Dagger readied his beam saber for a stabbing attack...

Chapter 19 END

PS - Yeah, my birthday's done yesterday, January 19th. So I'm officially 22 years now and I'm getting older as the years come by and go. Feel free to drop a line for me regarding my birthday or what. ;p

You might notice Ken's rambling about Neo fighting a last stand against the EURM. This is a homage to Vietnamization in the Vietnam War, where ARVN forces are tasked to fight the NVA and VC while American and Allied forces prepare to withdraw from South Vietnam and to current Democrat rambling that Iraq should be the one to fight the insurgents while American and Allied forces should leave Iraqi soil as soon as possible.


	20. Sieges

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED/Kidou Senshi Gundam SEED: Rebellion

By: Ominae

Rating: T

NOTE:

Concept of the Gundam SEED series are under the copyright of Mitsuo Fuk uda, Bandai and Sunrise. Cameo appearances of characters from Mobile Suit Gundam: Lost War Chronicles are under the copyright of Bandai Games, Masato Natsumoto and Tomohiro Chiba. Cameo appearance of Sophia DiFalco and other elements of Birds of a Feather are a courtesy from Solid Shark. All other characters and technology (weapons, vehicles) are under my jurisdiction, with some exceptions.

Summary:

With EURM forces battling against OMNI and loyalist forces, Rick has faced Neo in a one-on-one battle to determine the fate of the Equatorial Union in a siege on the Seri Perdana with some of his NSF Guard comrades on the Department of Defense. Meanwhile, rising Equatorial Union ace Ken Bederstadt has begun his approach towards the embattled Seri Perdana. What will happen next? Will the sieges determinate the fate of a nation? Stay tune to this chapter to find out.

Chapter 20: Sieges

Outskirts of Department of Defense, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Equatorial Union

Yzak was still engaging the purple Windam near the outskirts of the Department while other mercenary units were busy making work of the building's defenders.

"Damn!" Yzak slammed the beam-made blade of his beam saber against the Windam's own, further creating a clash that would either make or break for the both of them.

Without any hint of warning, two beam shots slammed into the waist of the Windam, which was soon destroyed in an explosion. Yzak, for the luck of him, was able to back off when he saw the incoming projectiles coming.

"Who the hell did that?" yelled Yzak, still on his guard with beam saber at the ready.

**"Ah... It looks like that I haven't worn out my shooting skills." **said a very familiar voice on Yzak's radio line.

**"Dammit Carry! Can't you be more careful?" **Now knowing who the mysterious shooter was, Yzak was then shouting at him.

**"Now's not the time to discuss things like that for now." **Moving to Yzak's left, Jean fired his Type 71 beam rifle at two Primuses that were engaging Hilda's GINN.

"I've heard that an elite was suppose to pilot that thing?" murmured Yzak, who sliced a Buster Dagger in half from the waist. "If that's the case, why was he easily defeated?"

Nearby, Mina Sahaku's MBF-P01-Re2 AMATU Astray Gold Frame Amatu Mina Custom laid havoc when she used her Maga no Ikutachi system to drain an OMNI Strike Dagger's battery when she sneaked up on it from behind thanks to the mobile suit's Phase Shift and clawed its head. After getting its battery power, she destroyed it with her Totsuka no Tsurugi saber after stabbing its cockpit.

_Trying to sneak up on a lady, huh? Not a chance. _With her sensors warning on an attack by two loyalist Primus and a single Long Dagger, Mina turned on her Gold Frame's Phase Shift, rendering her invisible. In the cover of her Phase Shift, she used her Tsumuha no Tachi to stab the Long Dagger's waist before firing her Igelstellung 75 mm CIWS at it. Facing her two opponents, Mina used the 50 mm beam rifle of her Trikeros Kai shield to destroy the two Primuses that were in front of her.

* * *

Abandoned Lobby, Department of Defense, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Equatorial Union

While the fighting was going on outside, a group of heavily armed soldiers with red armbands on their arms had began a sweep of the Defense Department building after forcing Department of Defense police officers to run for cover when they were facing superior numbers.

"Search the place!" ordered an EURM 1st Commando Bridage, sweeping the room with his SAR-24 assault rifle. "We need to bring the defense secretary in alive, not dead."

"Right!" shouted the rest of the EURM soldiers in unison.

"Come on!" Hamid led his own NSF Guards squad in searching the lobby before securing the stairway leading to the other floors up.

"Looks like the elevators were shut down." commented Clark, checking the elevator buttons for signs of activity.

"Looks like it." replied Jamie, who was keeping an eye for any suspicious behavior.

Hamid then motioned his group to head up the stairs; Clark and Jamie were the first one to check the stair landing leading to the 2nd floor for enemy presence. Once they were there, they gave hand signals to the others that it was clear. The two then led the others to the next floor with Hamid leading close behind as he was the team leader for the Defense Department raid.

* * *

Outskirts of Seri Perdana, Putrajaya, Malaysia, Equatorial Union

"Erah!" With Rick's collapsible spear extended, he was able to jab its spearhead to the cockpit of the OMNI Duel Dagger with brute force, making short work of it before turning his attention to locate Neo's Windam, only it vanished.

_Where'd it go? Shit! No time, better search the Seri Perdana..._

Switching his radio on, he issued out a command to his NSF Guardsmen.

** "Avir! Gather the others! We're heading inside the Seri Perdana! Our mission is to secure the president alive." **

* * *

Main Floor, Seri Perdana, Putrajaya, Malaysia, Equatorial Union

Still clad in his Equatorial Union pilot suit and helmet, but with a tactical vest and his SAR-24 carbine at the ready, Rick assembled his NSF comrades once they and a section of Special Naval Brigade commandos had breached the lobby of the Seri Perdana.

"We've been ordered to secure the president." Rick said, giving out his orders. "SNB guys are heading to the right side. We're to check the left."

"Right!" said the NSF Guardsmen in unison.

"Secure the stairway!" ordered Rick, who was the first to check the area with his SAR 24 carbine. Finding it clear, he gestured to his comrades to get upstairs and check the other rooms.

* * *

Second Floor, Seri Perdana, Putrajaya, Malaysia, Equatorial Union

"Deploy the surveillance ball." whispered Rick. At his word, Jouji tossed out a small metallic-like ball on the tiled floor while peering at the corner while Mike used a remote controller to use the ball's miniature cameras to observe the floor.

"Hallway appear clears." whispered Mike, giving the thumbs up.

Rick nodded. "All right. Move it." Rick lead the other NSF Guardsmen to position themselves near the doors leading to the Meeting Hall, VIP Hall and the Administration Office. Rick took a fiber optic camera, attached with a built-in mini monitor, and slid it under the doorway leading to the Meeting Hall after Jouji took the ball back.

"Someone seems to be inside. It's a bit dark." Handing the camera back to Mike and counted to three with his fingers and after the middle finger was raised, indicating a three, the NSF Guards kicked the doors down and assaulted the room in unison.

"President Chua Tseng Yu!" yelled Rick, aiming his SAR-24 carbine at the shadowy feature. "Under the authority of the Equatorial Union Reformed Military, I ask that you come with us with no resistance at all."

Alec, feeling for the light switch, flicked it open to allow light to enter the room when the truth was then felt by the renegade national servicemen.

They didn't have the president inside the room.

A dummy dressed in a suit was seated on the room, its fake eyes glaring at the intruding Guards.

Hating the dummy's non-sentinent stare, Rick raised his SAR-24 carbine and chose the rifle's selector switch to full automatic before he squeezed off some shots, nearly destroying the dummy's head before leaving the meeting hall. On the way out, he violently kicked a swiveling chair that was near the door of the room.

"Hey Rick!" yelled Alec, checking on his SELEX Personal Role Radio headset before running after Rick. "We've got a lead on the president! He's hiding in the Perdana Putra!"

* * *

En route to Perdena Putra, Putrajaya, Malaysia, Equatorial Union

**"Luis! Any breaking news out there?"** asked Rick, leading the NSF Guards away from the secured Seri Perdana while their Secundus mobile suits were flying over the newly secured Seri Perdana bridge.

**"There is. President's been hiding in the Perdana Putra as said. Looks like they've duped us at the last minute." **said Luis, shrugging his shoulders. **"Good news is that the Home Affairs and the NIB were recently secured by our guys. They're a standoff right now at Parliament. I've heard that one of our Spearheads went as far as to fire its 20 mm machine gun and fired two rockets, one at the Perdana and the other at the** **Kingfisher 33SP chopper that flew him there from the Seri Perdana, probably while loyalist forces kept us busy away from the Seri Perdana."  
**

**"You got that right. Over and out." **Ending the radio link, Rick sighed while leading his Secundus over the Seri Perdana bridge, being covered by EURM Scout Rangers and various Laguna vehicles, watching over the area with their lives.

_Murrue. Will I get to see you again when the war is over? _Thinking about his big sister makes him a bit nervous. But the more he thought about her, Rick became more dedicated to secure his country from OMNI influences, comparing him to nationalists that try to defend their own country from a leader that had gone the wrong path after throwing his support for OMNI and more particularly, the Atlantic Federation.

Seeing that a blinking light was on his console, Rick opened it to see Luis' helmeted face on his console.

**"I trust that something's up?"**

**"Rick." **started Luis. **"Our forces were able to secure the outer perimeter of the Perdana Putra. Gai and Elijah are leading the siege to secure the area near the Perdana."**

**"Good. Let them know that we're coming."**

**"Understood."**

Rick then ended his radio connection as he increased the speed of his Secundus to hasten his approach towards the Perdana Putra, where the president was said to be hiding.

* * *

Outskirts of Perdena Putra, Putrajaya, Malaysia, Equatorial Union

When Rick arrived near the Perdana Putra, he was in the middle of a raging battle. Various EURM mobile suits from Primus to Long Dagger were engaging loyalist and OMNI mobile suits, armored vehicles with infantry. However, that was not the only thing that he had observed.

Shinn and Riika's GINNs were attacking ST Kinetics Bionix-1 and 2 MBTs that were in entrenched positions near the Perdana Putra with their MMI-M8A3 machine guns, heavily damaging them in the gunfire before they exploded.

**"Rick!" **Rick's radio then revealed Dearka sitting in the cockpit of a loaned Buster Dagger. **"I was told by Gai and Elijah that you peeps are gonna raid that building behind me."**

**"Right, Dearka." **nodded Rick, prepping his mobile suit to approach the Perdana Putra. **"By the way, you know what happened to a guy named Sato?"**

**"Beats me." **Dearka shrugged. **"Last time I heard, he already left."  
**

* * *

Passenger Seat, Space Shuttle, en route to PLANTs, Space

Sato, seated on one of the passenger seats of the PLANT space shuttle, took out a neatly folded piece of paper that had blueprints of an unknown device.

_Excellent. _Unfolding it, Sato had studied the pencil writings that he joted down, detailing on the modifications on the device that, according to the blueprints, was a flare motor. It apparently had some notes that the motor engines was to be upgraded.

_With these fast motors, we can use them to strike at the hearts of those Natural bastards._

Folding the blueprints and concealing it back at his jacket pocket, he was called by Gary beside his seat.

"So you think we can do this, Sato?" whispered his companion. Sato grinned at his mate.

"With the modified motors that we're to obtain from our contacts in what's left of the Equatorial Union military, we should be able to be on schedule." Sato replied.

"But the war's still going on out there." advised Gary. "How long do you think we'll be able to get them."

"Don't be hesistant, my friend." Sato insisted. "The EURM has already entered Malaysian soil, which would bring an end to the war."

"I hope you're right, Sato." Gary huffed, reclining on his seat in order to catch some sleep.

* * *

40th Floor, Department of Defense, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Equatorial Union

On the last floor of the Defense Department building, multiple EURM soldiers from various units were engaging the remaining Department of Defense policemen that were protecting Secretary Yusof. Most of them had been killed while others were forced to surrender after sustaining major injuries, most from gunshot or shrapnel wounds, or were taken down alive. The majority of the building had been secured by brute force, thanks to the quick work and efficiency of the NSF Guardsmen.

"Mr. Secretary, take cover!" implored one of the Defense Department police officers, who had used some overturned furniture for cover while joining his colleagues to fire back at the invading EURM rebels with their Heckler and Koch MP7 submachine guns. "We'll cover you! Just get upstairs."

"Take 'em out!" yelled Hamid. Davan aimed his SAR-24 cover while EURM Scout Rangers fired to provide him cover. Targeting the head of a Defense Department policeman that had his head slightly exposed from the overturned furniture, Davan slightly pulled the trigger until he saw a single 5.56 NATO bullet slam into the officer's forehead, taking him down. Another Defense Department policeman tried to pull his dead colleague out of the way, but was soon shot in the neck and shoulder by Hamid, firing single shots from his SAR-24 carbine.

"Fire in the hole!" shouted an EURM Scout Ranger, who tossed a smoke grenade near the furniture barricade. Moments later, white smoke emerged from the discharged grenade, giving the EURM forces an advantage. The defenders, coughing and wheezing from the white smoke, were mysteriously overpowered by the NSF Guardsmen while some of the Rangers aimed their SAR-24 rifles at the downed policemen so as to make sure they wouldn't make a grab for their MP7s.

"The secretary's heading for the rooftop. You can still catch him!" yelled one of the regular Guardsmen, busy restraining a disarmed Defense Department policewoman. Hamid nodded at him and rushed to the opened door, leading to the rooftop.

* * *

Rooftop, Department of Defense, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Equatorial Union

"There he is!" yelled Miguel, pointing to the fleeing defense secretary to a waiting Kingfisher 33SP guarded by two Department of Defense police officers.

"Freeze!" A DOD policewoman raised her MP7 submachine gun, but was gunned down by an armed EURM infantryman while a DOD policeman fired a short burst from his MP7, lightly wounding an EURM Scout Ranger and Miguel when they were shot in the leg.

"Miguel!" shouted Hamid, who retaliated by firing his SAR-24 carbine at the DOD officer, watching him drop to the ground after being shot multiple times in the chest.

"Hurry! He's getting away!" shouted Miguel, who was groaning over his wounded right leg grazed by a 4.6 bullet while a regular Guards soldier was busy tending to his wounds.

"Hey!" Hamid ran for the fleeing defense secretary, who was able to get on the Kingfisher's opened passenger cabin door when he grabbed the man from the collar of his coat and the shirt of his business suit before he brandished his Armscor A2-45 FSB pistol from his vest and aimed it at the Kingfisher's chopper pilot.

"Out of the chopper now!" ordered Hamid, speaking from the cover of his pilot helmet while holding Secretary Yusof still from his coat's collar when the pilot stepped out of the Kingfisher with his hands up. When two EURM regular Guardsmen began to secure the defense secretary, the pilot had drawn out a Walther P99 pistol and was about to fire it when Hamid fired his Armscor A2-45 FSB pistol twice, one at the man's right shoulder and another at his left leg, crippling him.

"Don't even think about it." Hamid retorted, kicking the pistol away from the downed pilot and began to search the man while Davan aimed his SAR-24 carbine at the pilot to make sure he wouldn't do anything foolish.

* * *

Garden Area, Perdena Putra, Putrajaya, Malaysia, Equatorial Union

Now within the refuge of the walls of the Perdana Putra, Rick leaped off the cockpit of his Secundus before closing it to make sure no one would hijack it. Wearing his tactical vest and armed with his SAR-24 carbine, Rick was now ready again to secure the president.

"Luis." Rick addressed his NSF Guards comrade. "Everyone here?"

"Yea." nodded the helmeted Guardsman, also in his pilot suit. "It's confirmed. President's supposedly hiding in his office."

"Okay! Let's go!" Rick stormed the Perdana Putra, leading the rest of the NSF Guards squad with the other EURM soldiers that had stormed the building minutes ago.

* * *

Outskirts of Department of Defense, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Equatorial Union

"INCOMING!"

That was the shout of a EURM soldier before he was shot by CIWS gunfire coming from Jake's Primus. Having arrived on the scene, he made short of the EURM soldiers and some of the mercenaries that were engaging loyalist and OMNI forces on the ground.

"What the?" whispered Cagalli, seeing the machine after firing her AK-74 at one of the OMNI marines.

"Cagalli! Don't stand there!" warned Athrun, pushing her out of the way in time to fire his AK-74 at a loyalist 2nd Paratrooper Brigade soldier that was aiming for her.

"Thanks." mumbled Cagalli, ducking her head to avoid bullets from hitting her head.

"Cagalli! Thank goodness you're alright." said Kisaka, who had recently fired a PG-7VR warhead from his RPG-7D3 rocket launcher, taking a Continental Military AV-1T tracked vehicle out of commission after firing its 25 mm auto cannon before loading another PG-7VR warhead. Anish and Larry, in their Buster and Duel Daggers nearby, destroyed two Dagger Ls when they sliced the OMNI mobile suits in half before engaging two loyalist Primuses in combat.

"Charge!" Sahib led some of his Desert Dawn comrades in occupying an entrenched position 10 km. away from the Department of Defense's entrance that consisted of a 40 mm grenade launcher platform with a 150 mm recoiless rifle platform, firing his AKM at Commando Unit soldiers before using the rifle's solid butt to smack a Light Reaction Group commando in the head hard that he was knocked out cold. Using the 150 mm recoiless rifle, Sahib began to fire at various OMNI and loyalist vehicles such as Linear Tanks, Linear Artillery vehicles, Missile Trucks and various tracked APCs while a Desert Dawn guerilla fired the grenade launcher to take out loyalist and OMNI soldiers alike.

"Conil! Over here!" yelled Sahib. Conil, seeing where Sahib was, dashed over while firing her AK-74 to distract the enemy soldiers until she got to the entrenched position and used the sandbags for cover when she crouched to avoid being hit.

_Damn! Out of ammo! _Noticing that she ran out of bullets, she ejected the used magazine and fumbled for another one from her vest before slapping a fresh 30-round magazine. Cocking it to chamber a 5.45 Russian bullet in the rifle's barrel, Conil was once again on the offensive when she fired her AK-74 at incoming South African Union soldiers.

**"He's tough!" **Mikhail engaged Jake's Primus with his GINN High Maneuver Type, using his MA-M3 sword to perform slashes at the Primus, which was dodging his slashes.

**"Gotcha!" **yelled Andy from inside his BuCUE when he fired its 400 mm missiles at the Primus. Jake dodged it too, but the missiles had impacted on an abandoned apartment building nearby.

_Come on, come on! _Jake drew out his ML-1 beam rifle and fired it at Mikhail and Andy, making the two ZAFT veterans dodge the beam shots meant for them. Eyeing the other mercenary mobile suits, Jake made them scatter hard with his beam rifle that he didn't notice 75 mm bullets streaming for his weapon.

"Damn!" Jake shouted, his ML-1 beam rifle destroyed from his hands. He then eyed a Strike Dagger that had smoke emitted from the barrels of its CIWS.

"Come here, you!" snarled the ex-Eurasian Foreign Legion pilot, drawing his beam saber out.

"All right!" snickered Matt, who was in the cockpit of the Strike Dagger. He was able to draw his beam saber out in time to block Jake's swipe attack.

The two mobile suits clashed with each other, with one of them on the offensive while the other on the defensive. Matt and Jake kept up their attacks until Matt slashed at the right hand that carried Jake's beam saber, rendering it useless as it ticked on the ground when the disabled hand switched the beam saber off.

"Ha! Take that!" Matt grinned, now at the offensive against his loyalist opponent. Wanting to end the battle, Matt took his beam saber and sliced Jake's Primus in half from top to bottom, watching the searing blade make short work of the said mobile suit.

"ARGGHHHHH!" came the cry from the cockpit of Jake's Primus before it exploded.

* * *

2nd Floor, Perdena Putra, Putrajaya, Malaysia, Equatorial Union

"Secure the area!" yelled an EURM Scout Ranger, who was engaging members of the Presidental Security Unit, a group of highly trained bodyguards meant to protect the president of the Equatorial Union, his family, high-ranking officials and foreign officials. The PSU was trained to defeat terrorists, militants or anyone who are poised to assassinate the president or any other Equatorial Union officials.

They've never thought that they would ever fight against a highly trained soldier.

"The VIP room and VIP banquet halls are secured!" shouted one of the Scout Rangers. Soon, more reports came in from the other Rangers on the progress of controlling the Perdana Putra.

"National Security Division and National Economic Action Council offices are under control!"

"Enemy forces sighted near the Small and Large meeting halls!"

"Special Strike Force and 1st Commando Brigade soldiers are now engaging Light Reaction Group forces near the Delegation room!"

"Vice President Michael Harper has been secured and taken into custody from his office!"

"The vice president? What was he doing there?" murmured Rick, who stabbed a PSU officer with his Fairbarn Syke P2 commando knife when he disarmed him of his SAR-24 carbine.

"Don't know." answered Alec. "But I've heard reports that he and the president were having differences over handling the rebellion. Guess he decided to drop his support after all."

"Hey you NSFs!" shouted a Special Strike Force soldier, watching the two Guards talk to each other. "What are you waiting for? There's heavy resistance near the president's office! We need your help to secure him!"

* * *

President's Office, Perdana Putra, Putrajaya, Malaysia, Equatorial Union

**"The situation's getting hopeless here, Copeland. What do you think I should do?" **President Chua was making an emergency call to President Copeland of the Atlantic Federation, hoping for a speedy solution.

**"I don't think I can do much. Most of the forces that were deployed near the Department of Defense, National Police HQ and the headquarters of the Equatorial Union's miltary are being attacked. I can't afford sending more troops there."**

**"You've got to help me, Copeland!"**

**"All I can say for you, Tseng, is that you've got to cut and cut cleanly..."**

Realizing the hopelessness of his situation, President Chua replaced the cradle of his emergency phone when he heard a PSU bodyguard inform him of his situation.

"Mr. President!" said one of the PSU officers. "We have to get out of here. The situation's getting more dangerous by the minute."

"Sir!" Another PSU appeared near the door of the president's office. "Bad news. We've sent some of our people to check for an escape route out of the Perdana. It's 12 minutes since they've left and there's no word. And the bunker's out of the question after we had reports of mercenary presence.."

"The EURM forces are closing in!" advised a Commando Unit soldier, guarding the office entrance, before firing his SAR-24 rifle at incoming EURM soldiers. "They're-" Moments later, the same soldier was cut down in a hail of gunfire.

"What the?" Peeking out, the PSU officer near the entrance of the office drew out and fired his Walther P99 pistol. After firing 9 shots, the PSU officer was then gunned down as well.

"Damn!" The PSU officer near the president panicked and drew out his Heckler and Koch USP 45 pistol. Suddenly, a smoke grenade was tossed inside, emitting white smoke. The PSU officer was distracted by the smoke and thus, was forced to fire his USP 45 at the door. He heard a groan when 2 shots rang out before automatic gunfire struck his arm, right shoulder and upper chest.

"The president's office is under control!" said a voice from outside the room. President Chua, seeing his security officer, badly injured, silently stood up as the EURM Guardsmen swept the room to make sure that no other hostiles were active.

"Mr. President." said Rick, who entered the room along some EURM Scout Ranger and Special Strike Force officers. "You're hereby placed under the custody of the Equatorial Union Reformed Military."

"It looks like I lost." mumbled the president, who sadly sighed.

"Sir. I ask that you don't make this any harder for yourself or for our countrymen." advised Rick, telling the dejected president of the best thing to do in his situation.

"I understand." President Chua was being escorted by EURM 1st Commando Brigade soldiers that were waiting outside the office, moments after taking control of the Seri Perdana. Glancing at his left, he saw an EURM medic treating the grazed wounds of a rebel Guardsman who had graze wounds on his right arm and leg.

"Rick." Alec said, entering the office and calling out for him. "Got some news. Head of the National Police has surrendered and the Home Affairs Secretary did the same thing. Rumors are in that the head of the army is about to consider surrendering while navy and air force are a bit resistant. We've also managed to get Parliament under control. Wasn't much force since a light force of loyalist Marines were sent to guard the place."

"Great work." Rick nodded. "I hope we can end this soon."

* * *

Garden Area, Perdena Putra, Putrajaya, Malaysia, Equatorial Union

As soon as Rick and the other NSF Guardsmen departed the Perdana Putra, they came upon a sight that they haven't seen for a while.

"Shit! It's Bederstadt's Primus!" sneered Luis. "We better get a move on!"

"Right! Luis, Avir. Get to your mobile suits now!" Dashing to his parked Secundus, Rick boarded his mobile suit and unslinged his SAR-24 carbine before turning on the Secundus' OS.

**"Finally Richard Chung! We can finally end this like real men!" **said Ken, drawing out his beam saber after landing near the outskirts of the Perdana Putra.

_Ken's here. But is he... _**"Are you here too, Neo?" **yelled Rick, sensing Neo's presence in the Perdana Putra area as well.

**"Fascinating." **grinned Neo, his Windam on a Aile pack after leaping from a distance away from the Perdana Putra. **"So you weren't sleeping off the job now, are we?"**

**"So what?" **Rick grinned. **"Is this two against one?"**

**"Looks like it." **snickered Ken. **"From the looks of it, you're on the loosing end."**

**"Oh well. Looks like I have to even the odds a bit..." **Eyeing the anti-beam shield on the Secundus' left hand, Rick programmed his Secundus to drop it at the hill near the Perdana Putra.

**"Since you punks want to play rough..." **Rick drew out his two beam sabers and activated its beam blades, ready for action as he faces off against his two adversaries for the last time.

**"I guess I'll have to kill either one of you, or maybe both."**

Chapter 20 END

PS - To those from back home, you've probably seen an EDSA 1 reference. See where it is and let me know. ;)


	21. Final Draw

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED/Kidou Senshi Gundam SEED: Rebellion

By: Ominae

Rating: T

NOTE:

Concept of the Gundam SEED series are under the copyright of Mitsuo Fukuda, Bandai and Sunrise. Cameo appearances of characters from Mobile Suit Gundam: Lost War Chronicles are under the copyright of Bandai Games, Masato Natsumoto and Tomohiro Chiba. Cameo appearance of Sophia DiFalco and other elements of Birds of a Feather are a courtesy from Solid Shark. All other characters and technology (weapons, vehicles) are under my jurisdiction, with some exceptions.

Summary:

Now heading into a showdown with Atlantic Federation ace pilot Neo Roanoke and ex-Eurasian Foreign Legion soldier Ken Bederstadt, Rick is now pitted in a fight with two against one? Can Rick win this final fight and see to the "true liberation" of the Equatorial Union at last? Stay tune to this chapter to find out.

Chapter 21: Final Draw

Garden Area, Perdena Putra, Putrajaya, Malaysia, Equatorial Union

**"All right! Let's do it!" **

Taking the initiative, Rick charged towards Neo and started a beam saber clash after the latter drew out his two beam sabers also.

**"Take this!" **yelled the masked captain in a battle cry, moving his Windam to execute a double swipe, which was blocked by Rick when he used his dual beam sabers to form an X shape.

**"Arah!" **Rick tried to stab Neo with his two beam saber, which were quickly blocked.

_All right! This to take this outside!  
_

* * *

Outskirts of Perdena Putra, Putrajaya, Malaysia, Equatorial Union

"Quite safe." Rick looked around to see more fighting between EURM and loyalist forces, but no sign of Neo was seen. "Now where is the bugger?" _What the?_

"Did you forget about me?" shouted Ken, who leaped a short distance from the walls of the Perdana Putra to attack Rick from above with his beam saber.

**"Ken!" **Moving his Secundus to duck below the beam blade, Rick countered by attempting to thrust one of his beam saber at Ken's cockpit, but was blocked with his own.

**"Just surrender while the opportunity's still good, rebel!" **Ken said under his gritted teeth.

**"In case you don't know..." **grinned Rick. **"President's already captured and is being transported to an unknown location." **Parrying Ken's beam saber swipe, Rick charged at Ken's Primus and was on the offensive. **"I believe I should be the one who should ask of your surrender."**

**"Why you? Die!" **Feeling offended at the capture of the nation's leader, Ken retaliated by doing beam swipe after beam swipe, which was countered perfectly by Rick when he blocked Ken's swipes up, down, left, right and above his head.

**"Out of the way, Bederstadt!" **yelled Neo, landing his Windam next to Ken's after making a leap from behind with the help of the Windam's Aile pack. **"I'll be the one to execute this EURM scumbag once and for all!"**

**"No, you stay out of this!" **snarled Ken. **"We may be allies, but the Equatorial Union army is calling the shots here!"**

**"Can't you two get along for this one?" **sighed Rick, initiating the offensive by thrusting the beam saber on the Secundus' left hand while the the beam saber on the right hand blocked Ken's beam saber thrust against him. **"After all, I'm still your enemy!"**

**"You're right." **grinned Neo, firing his 12.5 mm CIWS machine guns on Rick. Like the last time, Rick predicted the movements of Neo's Windam and dodged it.

_I had a feeling he'd do that? Someone's trying to sneak up on me..._

Sensing that Ken had decided to mount a sneak attack, Rick elbowed Ken's Primus and blocked an attempt to fire his Floro 40 mm CIWS machine guns at him by leaping with the help of the Secundus' vernier thrusters that enabled him to land behind him before stowing his dual beam sabers.

**"Got you!" **Getting Ken's Primus into an headlock, Rick tried to apply much pressure in disabling his adversary when he drew out his Armor Piercer knife and stabbed at the Primus' right shoulder, forcing Ken to release his grip on the beam saber on its right hand. However, Neo used this as an advantage by lunging his beam saber at the head of Rick's Secundus, melting a part of his head.

**"Dagnabit!" **yelled Rick, releasing his hold on Ken before drawing out his beam sabers again to engage Neo in a one-on-one beam saber swordfight that paralleled the lightsaber battles in the Star Wars movies.

_I need to find an opening against Roanoke. Otherwise, I'm doomed..._ Rick was on the offensive when he swinged both of his beam sabers, desperately aiming to slice Neo's Windam into half or at least disable his arms before moving in for the final kill.

**"Hah! Think I'd never see that?" **grinned Neo, haughtily blocking the beam saber from Rick's left hand with his right beam saber that blocked it away from him.

**"Take this!" **Rick, in the blink of an eye, brought down the beam saber on his right hand to cut the Windam's left arm completely.

**"WHAT?" **Neo was stunned, but appears to know how he did this. _He must have blocked his senses from being detected, but is that possible to do it?_

"Hah!" chuckled Rick. "Got your frickin' arm, Roanoke!"

"How dare you?" Rick's action had made Neo really mad at him. Neo rapidly fired his 12.5 CIWS at him, making the renegade Guards conscript still dodge his wild attack.

**"How many times do I have to tell you that your aiming sucks!" **said Rick, taunting Neo once more. Drawing out his Armor Piercer again, Rick tossed it to the joint connecting Neo's left leg to the Windam's waist, disabling some leg movement.

"I can't move!" grunted Neo, watching the sensors on his displays that some parts of the Windam's leg movement has been partially immobilized when he was forced to kneel down.

"Now I gotcha..." Rick was about to grab another Armor Piercer knife when Ken was able to get the chance to attack Rick by simply tackling him on the ground.

**"Got you, rebel!" **Ken smirked at him, pinning him down with the Primus' arms holding Rick down. **"This time I'll be taking you in!"**

**"Bederstadt, stay back! I can still take him!" **Neo tried to get his Windam up after disposing of the Armor Piercer knife what was lodged on its left leg joint.

**"You stay back!" **retorted Ken. **"You OMNI people have been taking on the Equatorial Union military's mission to exterminate rebels like him! I'm the one who should be in charge of..."**

While watching Ken and Neo argue, Rick took out his Armor Piercer knife and stabbed Ken's Primus on the upper chest area before taking it out to toss it at the right leg joint of the Windam, disabling its leg movements. Rick earned a retaliation from Ken himself when he plunged the searing blade of his beam saber down near the left side of his Secundus cockpit before slicing off its left leg and right arm.

"Ergh!" grunted Rick, earning the sounds of several warning blares from his controls, indicating that his Secundus was moderately damaged due to the beam saber with some sparks coming out of the controls, though the mobile suit was luckily still functional while getting hit by the sparks himself.

**"Since you tried to stab me while I'm distracted, I thought I'd do the same thing to you in return." **Ken was now at the advantage, taunting him. **"If I have to die, then you're coming along for the ride!"**

_Baka! (Idiot!) _Rick suddenly grinned under his helmet, while typing up some commands on his keyboard. _You don't know what I have in store for you..._

Rick then felt a familiar liquid trickling down from his forehead.

Meanwhile, Neo's Windam was being whisked away by an familiar mobile suit.

**"Who is this?" **said Neo, patching into the radio of the Slaughter Dagger that pulled him away.

**"It's me, Lieutenant Sven." **replied the Slaughter Dagger pilot. **"Sir, we've been given the word from Pacific Command to pull back. National Police HQ and the Home Affairs Department were captured by the EURM when we got the code."**

**"What about it?" **asked Neo, a bit curious of the order.

**"The code says _I believe in a white christmas_."**

Neo sighed; he knew what the code means.

**"Sven. Speak with Lieutenant Commander Lee about this. Tell him that all active units must stand down at once..."****  
**

* * *

Living Room, Andrew Waltfeld's Residence, Somewhere in the Orb Union

"Kira, look!" Lacus said, not believing what she was seeing on the television.

"Oh no..." whispered Kira.

**"This is Yuki Omura reporting live from the siege near the Perdana Putra in Putrajaya, Malaysia. We're getting some word that Rick Chung has been engaging Captain Neo Roanoke of the Atlantic Federation Army and 2nd Lieutenant Ken Bederstadt, a former soldier of the Eurasian Foreign Legion and officer in the Equatorial Union Army." **Yuki had halted her broadcast when she was being spoken to via earpiece before resuming her broadcast. **"We've just got some updates, folks! Rick Chung is believed to be wounded in a scuffle with Lieutenant Bederstadt. We're getting a live transmission from the... "**

**"Attention everyone." **Rick's helmeted face on the television screen. **"Most of you have known who I am. To those who don't, my name is Richard Yamato Chung." **Rick grunted on his seat so as to avoid being totally overpowered before continuing to speak. **"Just before my term as a national serviceman is to end, I have decided to serve the cause of the EURM alongside my national serviceman platoon of the Equatorial Union Guards because our country has gone done the drain when our president has thrown his support to OMNI." **Rick gritted his teeth again, using some of the disabled Primus' strength to prevent Ken's beam saber from stabbing into the cockpit. **"We all knew what happened when OMNI forces had decided to invade the United Emirates of Orb just simply because its leaders are not for OMNI or for the ZAFT. All of us in the EURM have decided to revolt against our president in order to return our country's true nature in the international community as a neutral country." **

"Rick..." Murrue was at horror to see the young man fighting for his life on screen. _What are you doing there?_**  
**

**"Some of you may think what we're doing is foolish. Others may say that what we're doing is hopeless against our own position." **Focusing some of his attention on his controls, his helmeted face was still facing the on-board camera. **"But to me and the others who have willingly participated in the EURM's operations, we are only doing this for the good of our country and our people. You may say that I'm some sort of rebel, but that is not true. I'm a nationalist who only seeks to gain the Equatorial Union's sovereignty in order for my countrymen to decide our future, not by other nations especially those under the umbrella of OMNI."  
**

Rick then retracted the opaque visor of his pilot helmet, revealing his face to viewers around the world and to the PLANTs. He had blood oozing out of his head wounds, as well as from his mouth. Nevertheless, the young Guardsman was still smiling while his left eye was shut due to the pain that he was experiencing from his head wounds. Suddenly, a loud beep was heard from inside the cockpit when Rick said to the screen.

(Play Daybreak aka Ending-Staff Roll)

**"At exactly 14:05 hours today, Richard Yamato Chung of the National Serviceman's 3rd Guards Battallion has given up his life to serve the causes of the EURM." **

A few minutes later, an audible sound was heard very loudly after making the statement before the transmission end doubled with the sound of an explosion and a weapon that was stabbing an object were heard on the air for 4-5 minutes.

"Did he just do that?" Kira mumbled.

"Oh Rick..." Murrue was on the verge of tears. "No..."

* * *

Outskirts of Perdena Putra, Putrajaya, Malaysia, Equatorial Union

"Damn! I'm too late!"

Landing his Secundus close to the wreck, Hamid ejected from his cockpit and lead some EURM soldiers to secure the wrecks of Rick's Secundus and Ken's Primus.

"Secure the area now!" Hamid and the other Secundus pilot that raided the Department of Defense were with some EURM 1st Commando Brigade and Special Naval Brigade special forces soldiers. The group began to form a circular perimeter around the wrecks of the two machines.

"Come on!" gritted Hamid, climbing up the hill of wrecked parts from the Primus and Secundus before some Guardsmen were able to secure the semi-blasted cockpit of the Secundus. "Okay, let's do this!" Finding the emergency cockpit handle, Hamid used his left gloved hand to start turning the handle clockwise in order to open the cockpit manually since automated means were not available for use.

_Rick, be alive and kicking inside there!_

"Guys! Need help over here!" With Hamid and Clark opening the lower cockpit hatch, Davan and Alec concentrated on opening the cockpit's upper hatch with all their strength. Once they were able to budge the hatches open, Avir peered inside to discover Rick was knocked out by the blast.

"Hamid! He's inside!" Avir yelled, getting inside the cockpit with Hamid, Clark, Alec and Davan.

"Careful now." grunted Alec, lifting the body of Rick out of the seat after removing his seat buckles.

"Right." Hamid gently lifted Rick's legs, staring at the damage done to the walls around the cockpit. _Is it just me or is the cockpit reinforced? Nah, it's not important anyway..._

"Let's lay him down." Hamid instructed, placing the comatose body of Rick on the ground after placing a blanket under him. "This comes off." Hamid removed the damaged pilot helmet from Rick's head and tossed it aside, revealing Rick's wounds as light wounds were seen from his cheeks, one on his chin and a scar-like wound near his right eye aside from his head wounds and from the blood trickling down his mouth.

"Come on, Rick." grunted Hamid, proceeding to do CPR by applying pressure on his chest. "Get up."

Minutes later, Talia had been running to the site where the Secundus wreck was alongside Gai, Elijah, Riika, Barry and Shiho.

"Did you check if he has pulse?" asked Elijah, kneeling with Barry. When no one from the Guards answered, Barry sighed and placed his left index and middle finger to his neck.

"I can feel a pulse!" yelled Barry. "I'll do that..." said the ex-Orb Army officer. "You better give him some air."

"Okay." Taking his pilot helmet off, Hamid was about to place his lips over Rick's to blow air into his lungs when a hand whisked out and punched him in the cheeks, sending him down on the ground.

"Will you please," said the familiar sounding voice. "cut that OUT?"

(End Daybreak aka Ending-Staff Roll)

Hamid rubbed his almost swollen cheek; Barry and the other mercenary volunteers were amazed to see that Rick was alive.

"You were alive?" Gai was astounded that Rick survived the self-destruction of his Secundus.

"Yeah." grinned Rick, rubbing his hair before rubbing the blood off his face with a cloth that was handed to him by a regular EURM Guardsman after he sat upright. "Like I told you Hamid," Rick sermoned to his NSF XO. "I forbid anyone of you or anyone else in our unit from conducting that part of CPR."

"You know that in the training..." insisted Hamid, standing up after being slugged in the face. "How else can I put air in your lungs?"

"But still, I insist." answered Rick. "By the way, was everyone from our unit still alive?" Hamid nodded in reply.

"Guess this means all the fighting's been worth it." Barry grinned, slapping Rick on the right shoulder.

"Whoa! Careful there." Rick gritted the pain when Barry slapped it. "I felt it when I got rid of my Secundus."

"Oh, sorry." said Barry, who was embarassed by his actions.

"Rick, you're alive." Talia approached the wounded Guardsman, a bit relieved. "Can you stand?"

"Yeah." Rick began to stand up, who was assisted by Shiho and Elijah.

"Aren't you Shiho Hahenfuss?" Shiho saw that Rick had asked her. Her heart pounded a bit since their faces were close; she had to act professionally.

"Yes, I am." Shiho gave a salute, grinning a bit. "Shiho Hahenfuss, ZAFT Red. I thought I'd greet you personally."

"Well nice to meet you." Rick saluted her. "Staff Sergeant Richard Chung, Equatorial Union Guards. And that's fine with me."

"Looks like the day's over huh mate?" grinned Elijah, stretching his arms.

"Rick!" Jane went over to hug the young man. "I'm so glad you're alive!"

"Jane!" Rick said, his mouth muffled since his head was pressed on her chest. "Pain! Feeling pain..."

"Oops..." Jane could only scratch her head in embarrassment too after releasing Rick from her arms. "He, he."

"Hey Rick!" Clark called for Rick's attention. "We're about to open the hatch!"

(Play Ilaria Graziano - Christmas in the Silent Forest)

Realizing that Clark and some of the NSF Guardsmen were standing near the hatch of the wrecked Primus, Rick ran towards the wreck while Hamid gave him his Armscor A2-45 FSB. Aiming the pistol at the wrecked Primus hatch, Rick gave the signal for the Guardsmen to open the wreck. When the NSF Guards platoon leader was able to peer inside, it was a sight that could make some people nervous.

Rick saw that Ken had his left gloved hand covering the area around the right side of the abdomen, a result of having the Armor Piercer knife create the huge wound when it gashed the cockpit. Holstering the A2-45 pistol, Rick carefully crept towards Ken's wounded form while Avir's SAR-24 carbine was trained on the wounded loyalist officer in case Ken would do something drastic.

When Rick removed the cracked helmet, he noted that Ken was breathing really bad since his abdominal wound was really bad with lots of blood lost. The blonde man also had some blood trickling out of his closed mouth and was sweating. But despite all that, he was still smiling at him.

"I guess I've lost to you. A Guardsman of the military." grinned the wounded Ken, trying to prevent more blood loss from his wound after applying force on it with his gloved hand..

"It appears so." Rick holstered his pistol, staring at the wounded lieutenant. "It's over, Bederstadt. President Chua's in our custody. You have nowhere to go now."

Bedestaft frowned a bit, but still kept his grinning face up. "I see." He then closed his eyes before opening them again. "It seems that you were the better man."

Rick nodded. "I know that."

"So what happens now?" asked the wounded loyalist officer.

"I don't know." Rick shrugged his shoulders, seated down in the wrecked cockpit near Ken. "But I've heard that opposition leader Gabriel Luna will return shortly from the Oceanic Union. He'll probably work something out with the vice president."

"How do you know that?" wheezed Ken, gritting his teeth due to his hot wound.

"I can hear the radios from my people outside." Rick pointed outside with his thumb. "Besides, one of my people made it audible for all of us to hear."

"Well now," Ken stared at the afternoon sun; some of its rays shining down inside the ruined Primus cockpit. "I'll have to say my congratulations to you then."

"Don't be." Rick said with a sympathetic tone. "While we were enemies in this war of ours, we had our reasons to do so. I did it to remove our seemingly dictatorial president who used the police to silence anti-OMNI opposition while you did your part due to your loyalty to the country." Ken looked at Rick, unsure of what he was saying. "Don't give me that look. I'm loyal to the country, but not to the one who sacrifices the sake of our country just to look good before others. That's not the kind of man who should lead the Equatorial Union."

Ken nodded, grinning at his former opponent. "I see. You seem to have wisdom in your words. I wish you well."

"Same here, Bederstadt." Rick watched as Ken went to breath his last, staring at the sky behind him with no movement from the lieutenant when he became motionless. Rick went up near Ken's seat. to close his eyes for good. "Same here." With that, he gave his adversary a final miltary salute to send him to rest for good.

The other rebel soldiers also saluted as well, seeing that Rick had decided to give the salute to allow his enemy to rest though they would have to remove it soon from the wreck.

"Rick! Got some news!" Hamid called for Rick when Rick climbed out of the said wreck.

"What is it?" Rick was curious about the latest news since his XO was excited.

"Vice President Harper has called for a halt of violence between EURM against OMNI and government forces!" Rick was a bit overjoyed by the news. "Mr. Luna also has landed in Kuala Lumpur International. We were able to seize during our invasion of Malaysia."

Rick smiled at his friend. "That's really great news."

Avir had tweaked a civilian radio set that he was given from a sympathetic civilian. "Guys! More updates on the radio! I'll tweak the volume up!"

**"In more related headlines today, EURM forces have completed the capture of the entire Indochina region after rumors had spread to government troops that the capital had been overwhelemed, forcing the surrender of government and OMNI units stationed there. Atlantic Federation ambassador Michael Logan, who had recently met with Vice President Harper over a withdrawal of OMNI forces from the Equatorial Union after recent reports have surfaced that the entire Borneo Island was now under the control of the EURM's mercenary allies. As of now, OMNI forces in the region are being assembled for gradual withdrawal and are being ordered not to engage EURM units while EURM-led forces are prepared to reorganize the Equatorial Union military. We'll bring you more of this exclusive news as we get more updates."  
**

"Yahoo!" Clark pumped his fist in the air; having to hear the successful news. Rick grinned to see all of his EURM comrades cheer for Major Bauer, the higher ups and themselves for the good news.

"Rick!" Rick was tackled by Noel in a hug; the brunette-haired woman was crying after she had her arms around him.

"Did you hear?" sobbed Noel. "We've won. We don't need to fight anymore."

"Noel." Rick tapped her shoulder. "Don't hug me like that. I, er, feel pain in my chest right now..."

"Sorry..." Noel blushed, having to do something so dumb that could hurt someone.

"But thanks to your tactical knowledge in mobile suit and armor warfare, we did it."

"Don't mention it." Noel replied, then she was about to apologize for hurting Rick when he insisted on forgetting it.

"Never mind." Rick scratched his chin. "I already know."

"That's good." Rachel came along behind Noel, adjusting her glasses. "So what will you do now?"

Rick faced the blonde-haired woman, who smiled at him. "I'm not sure. We'll, we NSFs will have to continue our part to finish our national service term."

"And then...?"

Rachel couldn't help but have her cheeks turn red when Rick smiled, seeing his NSF comrades exchange warm greetings and victory signs over Rick's defeat over Ken, last surviving leader of the ex-Eurasian Foreign Legion Bedestadt squad.

"Then what?"

Seating himself down on a piece of huge rubble, Rick stared at the open sky as he smiled and said three words.

"I'm going home."

Rachel sat down next to Rick and asked him; "You have some family in Orb, right?" Seeing Rick nod, Rachel asked another question. "When are you leaving?"

"Maybe after additional training is over. Besides, we're not done yet." Rick turned to face General Kowen's secretary. "It's been a while since I got caught up in the OMNI's Orb invasion when I was taking my vacation."

"I see." Rachel replied. "But Rick," She leaned to his left cheek and kissed him there before ruffling his hair. "don't take things hard. Learn to face them. That's what people have to do at a certain point in their lives."

"I know, Rachel." Rick replied, nodding his head. "I know."

(End Ilaria Graziano - Christmas in the Silent Forest)

Chapter 21 END

PS - Civil war's over here. In the next one or two chapters, there'll going to be some reunion here with Rick and family especially Kira, plus having to see a particular female that I've told you peeps from before, meaning I have to put some romance in here. Look, I like doing action and adventure stories and chapters, not romance (unless it's part of my story). But since I have to do it to end the story, (sigh...) I'll have to do it.

See you next chapter.


	22. Family Reunion

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED/Kidou Senshi Gundam SEED: Rebellion

By: Ominae

Rating: T

NOTE:

Concept of the Gundam SEED series are under the copyright of Mitsuo Fukuda, Bandai and Sunrise. Cameo appearances of characters from Mobile Suit Gundam: Lost War Chronicles are under the copyright of Bandai Games, Masato Natsumoto and Tomohiro Chiba. Cameo appearance of Sophia DiFalco and other elements of Birds of a Feather are a courtesy from Solid Shark. All other characters and technology (weapons, vehicles) are under my jurisdiction, with some exceptions.

Summary:

The Equatorial Union Civil War has come to an end. With the EURM in firm control, democracy is about to be restored. What has happened to Rick Chung after he had to complete his additions Guards training with the Equatorial Union Guards after the guns of the revolution has been silent? Stay tune to this chapter to find out.

Chapter 22: Family Reunion

Arrivals Hall, Arrivals Terminal, Onogoro International Airport, Orb Union

Entering the arrivals hall section of Onogoro Airport's Arrivals Terminal, an 18-year old Equatorial Union national had made his appearance wearing a white polo shirt, dark blue jeans and wore black Oakley THUMP PRO shades on. Worn on his head was a black ballcap that had the insignia of the former Singapore Guards, an elite rapid response unit that was modeled on for the creation of the Equatorial Union Guards.

"Wonder if anyone's going to greet me?" wondered Rick, taking his THUMP PRO shades off and tucking them on the polo shirt pocket on his chest before tugging his shoulders to make sure his Victorinox Veritas backpack was still on him. "It's nice to take a break after 2 weeks of hell back in Pulau Ubin again."

"Rick!" Rick heard a familiar female voice calling out to him.

_Who in the? _Turning his head around to see who was calling him, Rick noted two familiar people who were running to greet him.

"Aunt Caridad!" Rick was overwhelmed to see his aunt when she enveloped the young Guardsman in a hug.

"Rick, it is you!" Caridad was crying, reaching out to touch his face with her left hand. "You're alive..."

"I know." Rick smiled, closing his eyes to appreciate how much his aunt cared for him. "Everyday, I try to think about whether I would be alive for the next day." Opening his eyes, Rick asked his aunt. "But how did you know that I was coming today?"

"That part's easy." Haruna came beside Caridad. "We were told by Mr. Waltfeld about your arrival."

"He did?" Rick snapped his fingers. "Darn! And I wanted to surprise you guys." Rick then decided to greet his uncle by hugging him instead. "At least I got to see you again, unks!"

"Rick!" Another familiar voice echoed a bit in the terminal.

"Say isn't that..." Rick was again overjoyed when he found who it was. "Kira!"

"Rick!" The two hugged each other with Kira's tears threatening to leak out of his eyes. "I knew you'd be alive."

"Of course I was, cuz." Rick released Kira from his hug and patted his head. "You'd think I'd be dead for a second, ne?"

"Anyway," interrupted Haruna. "we've got a car waiting for you Rick. I bet you were tired from the jet lag back there."

Rick nodded to his uncle. "I agree with you." Making sure that his backpack was still slinged on his shoulders, Rick smiled to them. "Let's go."

* * *

Living Room, Andrew Waltfeld's Residence, Somewhere in the Orb Union

"Wonder who's that?" Andrew scratched his head when he answered the front door after leaving the living room. He grinned when he found out who it was.

"Oh, it's you." grinned the ex-ZAFT commander. "Thought I won't see you this time of the year."

"I'm just here to see if Murrue's around." Rick said, raising his hand up to stop Andrew from speaking any further. "Is she around?"

"Come right in." Andrew said, allowing him to get inside. "I think she's in the living room right now."

"Thanks." Getting inside Andrew's house, Rick slowly entered the living room and saw a familiar brown-haired woman, who was staring at the television.

"Erm.." Rick cleared his throat. "Murrue. It's me, Rick."

Hearing his name, Murrue stood up from her seat and saw who it was. _Ricky... _She walked closer and closer until she was standing in front of him.

"Rick. It is you." Murrue whispered, using her right hand to reach out and gently touched his right cheek. Rick felt blood rushing onto his face when he felt the woman's hands on his cheeks.

_Oh god! Oh god! I can't believe it. Murrue is actually TOUCHING my cheeks!_

Murrue's face suddenly turned from a curious to an angry tone, her hand still on his right cheek. This suddenly made the black-haired teen cringe at his feet.

_Does that mean she's very angr..._

SLAP!

Rick felt his cheek in a bit of pain when he felt Murrue's slap on his face. He could only watch as she went back to the couch, forgetting that Rick was even there.

"Ouch..." Rick hissed, feeling the pain. "That stings..."

"You better get outta here for now." suggested Andrew, who led Rick back to the front door. "Your uncle and I have decided to give you a welcome party in my place. Who knows, you and Murrue could maybe fix things up."

"Right." Rick sighed, leaving the Waltfeld residence to head back to Haruna's auto, which was waiting for him at the front gate.

* * *

That evening, the Waltfeld residence had a lively atmosphere since Andrew and Aisha had invited Rick's family and friends to celebrate his homecoming after participating in the Equatorial Union Civil War. Because Andrew was busy greeting the guests that were still coming, Aisha was the one who entertained the guests who were in the living area, especially one particular NSF Guardsman.

"Hi there." said Aisha in a sultry voice. "You must be Rick Chung, that renegade Guardsman that Andy told me about." grinned the black-haired woman.

"So you must be Aisha." Rick couldn't help, but have his cheeks turn red at the sight of the beautiful ex-ZAFT officer. _Dang! Didn't know she was that pretty..._

"That's me, cutie." grinned Aisha.

"Ehem."

"Oops." Aisha that Andy that calling for her. "Oh darn. I have to go." Throwing a smile, Aisha left to see Andy.

"That was close." Rick mumbled.

"Hey." said Athrun. "It could have been worse."

Rick nodded. "I know. Say, you told me that Lacus was suppose to be coming."

"I believe that's her now." said Miriallia, pointing to the front door. Lacus entered and was greeted by Andy and Aisha before walking to Rick.

"Hello Rick." greeted the pink-haired girl. "I'm..."

"Lacus Clyne." grinned Rick, who had halted Lacus' introduction. "I've heard about you." He stretched out his hand to shake hands with hers. "But I've never expected you to seek refuge in Orban territory."

Lacus sighed. "It's a long story though."

"Still," Rick insisted. "It's good to see you safe and sound after what I've heard from Kira and the others."

"Thankfully." Lacus answered, slightly smiling at him. Rick's cellphone on his pants pocket vibrated a bit, making the Equatorial Union national excuse himself from the party.

"Excuse me, Lacus. I have to attend to something."

* * *

Patio, Andrew Waltfeld's Residence, Somewhere in the Orb Union

"Hmmm..." Rick read the message on his Nokia 9200 communicator phone. "Rachel's saying hello. Also mentioned about upcoming training next year before NSF graduation. Can't wait."

Placing his phone back on his pants pocket, Rick failed to notice someone entering the patio area when two arms enveloped him from behind, hugging his waist.

"Uhhh..." Rick said, his cheeks quickly turning red.

"Ricky." Rick's ear quickly deduced who the voice belonged to.

"Murrue." whispered Rick. He brought his hands to softly touch the hands that were on his waist. "I'm..."

Rick felt being turned around by the same hands that were on his waist when they were placed on his shoulders, facing a familiar woman who had touched his life ever since he was growing up in the Equatorial Union during his youth.

"Murrue..." Rick couldn't help but stare at the woman who had been with him from a child to his teens.

"Does it hurt?" Murrue whispered, touching the cheek where she had slapped him a while ago. She saw Rick shake his head.

"I'm sorry..." Rick started to apologize, but Murrue shook her head.

"I'm the one who should be sorry for slapping you hard." insisted Murrue.

"But Murrue," Rick said sadly. "I was the one who hurt your feelings..."

Murrue smiled at him. "You didn't. Initially, I slapped you because I was angry at you for trying to waste your life there." Tears were slowly leaking out of her eyes. "For a minute, I thought you were killed in that explosion."

"You see." Rick scratched his head. "I kinda was prepared for that. I did take precautions to do that, you know."

"I see." Murrue listened to Rick.

"I even heard a voice after I self-destructed my mobile suit while I was unconscious." Rick said, closing his eyes while Murrue's arms were now around his neck. "It told me that someone was waiting for me back home." He stared at Murrue's eyes. "And that someone happens to be you."

"Thank you Ricky." Murrue leaned in and placed a kiss on his forehead. "Thank you for coming home alive." _Aren't those... _Murrue traced the scars on Rick's chin and underneath his right eye with her right index finger, not realizing that her touch was making Rick cringe since he found her touch to be quite... Well, let's just say that he really liked being touched like that.

_Dang! My heart's beating fast all of a sudden? If I don't do something about it, then I'd..._

"Where'd you get these scars?" Murrue asked, her voice being soft while looking at the healed scars.

"I probably got them when I blew up my machine." answered Rick, mesmerized by Murrue's touch and her being really close to him.

"You have to be careful, Ricky." Murrue's voice was once again making Rick have pleasant shivers on his spine.

"I know." whispered Rick, which was Murrue's turn to blush from Rick's soft yet gentle voice.

"But how were you able to survive the blast when you blew up your mobile suit?" Murrue's left hand was now playing on his black hair while her right hand was gently tapping his right shoulder, but kept him quite close to her.

"I did precautions with the cockpit." answered Rick. "I had help from some Junk Guild guys who participated in the civil war a month ago, if I recall right."

"Oh." Murrue said, eliminating the silence between the two of them that linger for a brief minute. "I almost forgot that I had something for you when you got back."

"Really?" Rick said, raising an eyebrow at her.

Murrue nodded at Rick. "You have to close your eyes first, though. It's a surprise."

"Fine." Rick huffed, closing his eyes as Murrue had instructed him to do. Moments later, Rick felt something wet was pressed on his lips.

_Hm... Seems wet. I wonder what is that anyway?_

When Rick opened his eyes, he saw Murrue had her lips against his, arms around his neck in order to get close to him.

_Murrue's kissing me! I can't believe it! I actually thought she wouldn't, but... _Rick had his arms on her waist slightly. _But this feels nice._

Moments later, Rick removed his lips from Murrue's, seeing the brown-haired woman frown with her eyes still closed.

"You know," grinned the NSF Guardsman. "that was my first kiss."

"It is?" Murrue's cheeks were suddenly burning after she heard what Rick told her about his kiss. "I'm glad that I'm your first." Rick smiled at her, silently thanking her for saying that Murrue was his first.

"Oh, there you are."

Rick and Murrue faced the opened patio door to see Lacus waiting for them.

"It's a good thing Kira told me where you went, Rick." said the former songstress. "We have to discuss some things right now."

"I see." Rick then faced Murrue. "You'll have to excuse me, Murrue. I'm afraid it's an important matter." Murrue then left the two alone in the patio.

"So what is this thing that you want to discuss with me?" asked Rick.

"Have a seat here." Lacus said, patting down the area next to her when she sat down on the patio couch. "To be honest, we'd like you to join an organization dedicated to fight against those who seek world chaos." began Lacus, who started the conversation after Rick sat down next to her.

"What is this organization?" Rick was not sure on what Lacus was telling her.

"We're called the Three Ship Alliance." replied Lacus. "But lately, I've been in contact with some agents from Terminal."

"Isn't that guild that collects intelligence from OMNI, ZAFT and the various neutral nations?" Rick was a bit stunned when Lacus had mentioned Terminal, seeing her nod her head. "Hmm..." Rick went to scratch his chin, digesting the information that he was told on.

"I'm asking if you would like to join our organization." asked Lacus. "You see, I'm currently reorganizing Terminal in such a way that we can be prepared to strike back against those who use wars to fulfill their own selfish motives. I'd like to find individuals from other nations who share our goals in ensuring a better tomorrow for all people, whether they are Naturals or Coordinators."

_She's right. The wars that happened in the last few centuries had taken place due to an individual's interior motive. But should I? I don't know, but I'd like to make a change to this world of mine._

"I agree to your request, Ms. Clyne." Rick replied, earning a surprised look from Lacus herself. "You're right. The First Bloody Valentine War was caused by renegade OMNI soldiers who were Blue Cosmos loyalists. I can't just sit here and pretend that things like that aren't going to happen in the near future. If the next generation wants a better tomorrow for them to live a better life, then I'm in."

"Thank you." said Lacus. "Your contribution would be good for all of humankind."

"It's about time that I did something to contribute for the good of mankind. I think they need it."

"I'm sure they will." Lacus said, standing up from the couch. "But before I go, I need to give you a welcoming present."

"Oh?" Rick said, a bit suspicious. _Why do I have a bad feeling about this? _"And what's that?"

"Close your eyes first." insisted Lacus, a smile seen on her face.

"All right. Let's get this over with." Having shut his eyes, Rick had his arms crossed on his chest for a few minutes when a familiar wet feeling was felt on his lips.

_Again? _Moving back, Rick saw that Lacus had pressed her lips already against his, eyes closed with red cheeks.

"Just like Kira's." whispered Lacus, the faint blush still remaining on her cheeks.

* * *

Living Room, Andrew Waltfeld's Residence, Somewhere in the Orb Union

"Hey Sophia." said Kira, speaking to the woman. "Are you thinking about something?"

"As a matter of fact, I am." sighed Sophia, emptying the glass of water that she had on her hand. She then saw Lacus enter the living room with a flushed face, followed by a confused Rick who shrugged his shoulders in confusion.

"About what?" asked Kira, not helping to be a bit curious on what Sophia was thinking about. He saw her looking at the patio door.

"I couldn't stop thinking about Rick, Kira." Sophia smiled at the young Coordinator. "I thought it was... love. I thought that I was in love with him when I saw him out there in the civil war. I had to hide my feelings because he thinks of me as a sister figure. I eventually realized that it wasn't. The feelings had probably lingered as feelings for Rick as a sister figure before I went back to the Atlantic Federation to study at the academy and serve my commission."

* * *

"Ah, Rick. There you are." Haruna called on his nephew. "I thought we were about to leave you."

"Is it time to go?" asked Rick, checking the wall clock near the entrance of Andrew's residence.

"It is." Kira said, walking with his "mom" to the front door. "Besides, it's getting late."

"That reminds me." Caridad had a smiling face on, facing Murrue. "Why don't you spend the night and tomorrow with us, Murrue?"

"What?" said Rick and Murrue in unison.

"Since Rick came back." insisted Caridad. "I was thinking that maybe the two of you should spend some time for a while since Rick's on vacation until the end of new year's."

"But I..." Rick wanted to reject his aunt's suggestion, but decided to give in. "All right." _It's just too hard to say no to Auntie Caridad._

"I guess this means good luck to the two lovers tonight." grinned Andrew. The guests, including Barry and Athrun, could only chuckle at the scarred man's words.

"Yeah." added Kojiro in unison. "They might have a problem of not getting their hands off each other." The room soon was filled with laughter while Murrue and Rick decided to have their cheeks red.

* * *

Guest Room, Yamato Residence, Orb Union

Lying on the double bed inside one of the guest rooms in the Yamato residence, Rick was collecting his thoughts on the time that he had met Murrue while sleeping.

_It's a big surprise. I mean, I haven't Murrue in a few months to almost a year now. And I didn't even had the chance to go and write to her or something. And of places, Murrue and I get to see each other again. But wait, I even felt something when Murrue kissed me on my lips. I have to admit that it was good, but it was my first. Besides, my hearts was beating a lot than usual. _Shifting to his right, he sighed while collecting his thoughts again until he heard someone else's voice on the bed besides him.

"Ricky. Are you okay?"

Opening his eyes slowly, he saw Murrue was beside him. The brown-haired woman was looking at him with a worried look in her face, head on her pillow. Her short hair had done nothing to obstruct Rick from viewing her face. He had to admit, she looked pretty when she was lying down in bed.

"I'm fine." Rick smiled. "I'm just tired." He then said, "I have to apologize for what auntie had to do. It's kind of embarassing that..."

"Shhh..." Murrue smiled also, placing her right index finger over his lips to keep him quiet. "I'm not angry or anything." Raising her right hand to touch his face, Murrue moved a bit closer to where Rick was in the double bed. "It's perfect anyway..."

"Murrue..." Rick whispered, sensing that Murrue was telling him something that was hurting her.

"Two people that I've known were killed in war, Ricky." Murrue said, sounds of sniffing heard from the woman while whispering to Rick. "My first boyfriend died during the First Bloody Valentine War." Reaching out to grab something from her neck, Murrue showed Rick the coffin-shaped pendant that she wore. "I thought I'd be lonely for a while after he died."

"Er, um..." Rick mumbled, trying to find the right words to tell Murrue.

"It's okay, Ricky." Enveloping the teen in her arms, Murrue tucked him close to her by placing her forehead next to his while looking at him, clutching the pendant with her left hand and the right on Rick's head and continued to whisper to him. "I thought I found love again. He was really wonderful." Letting go of her pendant, Murrue used all her fingers on her right hand to roam arond Rick's face. She smiled after it stroked his soft lips for a few seconds.

"His name with Mu. Mu La Flaga. During the second war, I thought I would be able to move on." When Murrue noticed that Rick was moving a bit, she sighed and made him lie on his back. "I honestly thought I would find love again. But, I found out that he was..." Murrue felt like she was about to cry.

"Murrue." whispered Rick, trying to comfort Murrue. "It's okay if you don't want to say it."

"After the war ended," Murrue moved next to Rick and hugged his reclined position, putting her arms around his chest and neck and moving her lips close to Rick's right ear, her head propped near Rick's pillow. "I felt hopeless. I felt like I didn't want to live anymore because of their deaths. After I arrived in Orb to seek refuge, my life went back to square one; I was lonely again."

"Murrue." Rick reached out to touch her shoulder. "What's important is that you're alive and you have to move on. Even though that they're gone, at least they have a better place to go to, right? I'm really glad that you're alive, Murrue."

"Ricky..." Murrue leaned her face closer to Rick's.

"When I detonated my mobile suit to stave off my enemy, I kept my thoughts on you and wondered what would happen if you'd find out that I was still alive. Even when I was unconscious, I just couldn't help but..." Rick was interrupted when he found Murrue's lips on his again, this time pressed with some amount of force; the Equatorial Union national didn't notice that Murrue was now on top of him. Rick unconsciously had his arm around Murrue's waist while enjoying being kissed by her.

"Murrue, wait..." Rick panted, gently pushing her away from him.

"Hmmm..." Murrue brushed away some of the hair strands that were matted on his face.

"I thought girls weren't suppose to be rough in a relationship like this."

Murrue only grinned at him, smirking that she was looking at him since she was on top of him. "You're old-fashioned, Ricky."

"I'm what?" Rick asked, confused at Murrue's statement. She could only smirk at him.

"Nothing." Murrue shook her head.

"By the way," asked Rick. "What does this all mean for us?"

"What do you mean?" Murrue now had a genuine look of concern written on her face.

"I don't know." Rick replied. "When you kissed me a while ago, I was already wondering if we were to be. Um, you know..."

Murrue smiled at Rick, arms now around his neck. "Well, what do you think?"

"I like to." Rick felt his cheeks turn red at the thought of being Murrue's boyfriend. "But I'm not sure. This is all new stuff to me."

_He's still the same Rick I knew from before. Always shy with the females most of the time..._

"Ricky." Murrue leaned in so close that their faces were nearly touching. "I don't mind if you're going to be my boyfriend."

"Er, I see." Rick began to mumble some things out of his mouth when Murrue kissed him, this time without any means of force, but with gentleness instead.

"Oh, hush." Murrue said, exhaling slowly after she gently removed herself from Rick's lips.

"So does this means that you're my girlfriend now?" asked a curious Rick, who curiously felt good about being kissed by the same woman for about 4 times, though he wouldn't admit it.

Without saying anything, Murrue brought her lips back to Rick's own once more. With Rick's arms wrapped around her waist, the two were motionless as they thought about giving it all in their kissing.

Chapter 22 END

PS - All right! Like I said, I don't do mushy stuff like this except if it's for the story's plot (I have to admit, it's my first time to do stuff like this). Anyway, one chapter to go and that's it. I think I better prepare a lot of violence and blood in my other upcoming fanfics before my brain tells me to do more mushy stuff. : O

To those sharp-eyed FF people out there, see if you can spot a line that is familiar to you peeps out there.


	23. A New Beginning

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED/Kidou Senshi Gundam SEED: Rebellion

By: Ominae

Rating: T

NOTE:

Concept of the Gundam SEED series are under the copyright of Mitsuo Fukuda, Bandai and Sunrise. Cameo appearances of characters from Mobile Suit Gundam: Lost War Chronicles are under the copyright of Bandai Games, Masato Natsumoto and Tomohiro Chiba. Cameo appearance of Sophia DiFalco and other elements of Birds of a Feather are a courtesy from Solid Shark. All other characters and technology (weapons, vehicles) are under my jurisdiction, with some exceptions.

Summary:

After arriving at Orb to reunite with some of his relatives, Rick had amended his past ties with Murrue Ramius, ex-commander of the Archangel, as well as joining up with the upcoming Terminal, created from the remnants of the former Three Ship Alliance. What will happen next to the NSF Guardsmen? Stay tune to this chapter for the conclusion of Rebellion.

Chapter 23: A New Beginning

Quirino Grandstand Area, Rizal Park, Manila, Philippines, Equatorial Union

It was now March, 72 Cosmic Era. The terms for National Service in the Equatorial Union have now ended. A parade is currently being held in the Quirino Grandstand Area, which is sufficient enough to send National Servicemen marching down adjacent to the crowds that would be watching them from the side.

"It's a good thing that we're see to see Rick graduate from National Service." said Kira, seated beside Caridad and Haruna.

"Yes, you're right." replied Lacus, seated near Kira. "I always wonder how Rick looked in uniform.

"Sorry we're late." Sophia said, coming along with Murrue as the two were coming to sit down in the bleachers after the two ladies came out of the restroom. "Is he out yet?"

"No." Haruna shook his head. "The National Servicemen from the infantry battallions have just finished."

**"Ladies and Gentlemen!"** rang the commentator. **"The National Servicemen of the Equatorial Union Guards."**

After the announcement, the crowd stood up from the bleachers and waited for the Equatorial Union Guards' National Servicemen to arrive. In a few minutes, the platoons arrived and were marching with their SAR-24 assault rifles on their hands.

"Present Arms!" Following the command, the Guards National Servicemen in their red berets and their flecktarn uniforms, executed a rifle salute in the unison while the leading National Servicemen saluted with his right hand. The jubilant crowd clapped their hands. Kira and the Yamatos, especially Murrue and Sophia, were happy to see Rick in their ranks, who had executed a rifle salute to the President of the Equatorial Union and the Equatorial Union Chiefs of Staff.

**"Congratulations to these fine National Servicemen for a job well done."**

More applauses came from the crowd after the platoons had marched past them.

* * *

**"Ladies and Gentlemen! The Equatorial Union Guards National Servicemen will now give a live demonstration of their capabilities!"**

A mockup of some buildings were seen in the middle of the parade ground. Moments later, a few Sikorsky UH-60 BlackHawk helicopters hovered over one of the buildings near the middle one, rappelling rope emerging out of the cabin.

"What are they doing?" asked Lacus, pointing to the choppers that landed on the ground nearby while one chopper remained over the left building's roof.

"Probably showing how good they are with their expertise." suggested Kira. "I remember Rick telling me that he wanted to do stuff like this."

"Looks like he's getting it now." grinned Sophia. Two NSF Guardsmen were out of the chopper and were now rappelling down by running down the building's wall before making a leap to the ground.

"What is that?" Lacus was amazed at the rappeling skills the NSF Guardsmen were now executing.

"That's call the Australian rappeling."

"Mr. Waltfeld." said Kira. The scarred man took a seat next to Murrue.

"Thanks." grinned Andrew. "You see, the Australia rappelling is a method where one would have to descend to the ground via running. The former Singapore Guards had been trained to do this as part of their rapid response capabilities."

"Sounds exciting." replied Sophia. Minutes later, two platoons of NSF Guardsmen were now approaching the middle building with stealth using the two buildings to the left and right as cover. One of the Guardsmen made hand gestures to send two of them to the window near the entrance. Watching the two Guardsmen assume human stepping stones under the window, two groups of 3 Guardsmen infiltrated the middle building via fire escape and rear entrance. After their positions were complete, one of the Guardsmen on the ground rushed and climbed on the human steps before using the butt of SAR-24 assault rifle to smash the window open. Following his movement, other Guardsmen rushed to swarm the building from all sides and overwhelm the simulated terrorists, who were played by soldiers of the Equatorial Union Army's 1st Commando Brigade.

"All right! Get them out!" The cuffed _terrorists _were then ushered out by armed Guardsmen, followed by simulated hostages. Other Guardsmen who were providing armed escort were either clearing the building, clearing the outskirts or were signalling for a chopper to arrive.

**"Ladies and Gentlemen! The National Servicemen of the Equatorial Union!"**

A loud applause from the crowds once more, having seen their loved ones complete their mandatory service and their status elevated from NSFs to Operationally-Ready National Servicemen (ORNSFs)

* * *

Quirino Grandstand Area, Rizal Park, Manila, Philippines, Equatorial Union

"Uncle! Auntie!" called Rick, who was still in his uniform and had his red beret on with his duffel bag. "You guys made it!"

"Rick!" Kira ran up to his cousin and hugged him. Rick reciprocated the hug and hugged Kira back.

"Glad you made it, Kira." grinned the now Guardsman. "Who else is here?" asked Rick.

"We're here, kiddo." Andrew waved, followed by Murrue, Sophia and Lacus.

"Hey! Don't call me a kid now..." said Rick, defending himself.

"Just kidding." chuckled Andrew. "You're too hard when people call ya kid."

"Never mind him." Sophia said. "We're glad to see you graduate from National Service."

"Yeah. Never thought I'd would." Rick hugged Sophia and patted her back. "I'd thought I'd never see you or Murrue here today."

"Me too." Sophia removed herself from hugging Rick any further.

"Ricky." Murrue hugged Rick. "Congratulations."

"Thanks." Rick said, feeling happy to see her today. "I'm now on operational standby."

"By the way," asked Kira. "Who was that Guardsman who smashed through the window in the live demo?"

"Me." Rick pointed his thumb on himself. "Been doing that during urban warfare training for a while now."

"All right." Haruna brought out his digital camera. "I'll have to take your picture, Rick. Going to bring a lot of memories for the family."

"Please do." Caridad was now placing the rank pins on his right shoulder epaulet while Murrue did the same on his left shoulder epaulet. A second later, a snapshot was taken of the two women slipping the ranks pin on his shoulder epaulets.

"So what happens now?" asked Caridad, already done with her job.

"I'm an Operational servicemen. An equal term for that would be reservists." answered Rick.

"I see." nodded Caridad, understanding his answer.

"However," added Rick. "I've talked things out with my mates and most of them, with me included, are willing to be in the army soon after attending college."

"All of them?" asked Lacus.

"Yep." Rick brushed some hair from his left ear. "I think one of my guys is going to Orb for his studies."

"What course?" Murrue asked Rick.

"I think Political Science." grinned Rick. "Heard he's going to Onogoro."

"That's where your having your scholarship approved, right?" Kira said.

"Yeah." Rick nodded. "Did they reject it?"

"I heard they would due to your involvement in the civil war." Kira said, sounding a bit worried. "But I got a letter from the university and said that it's approved before we flew here."

"Also." Sophia added. "The treaty's being signed by OMNI and PLANT representatives to end the war."

"Where?" asked Rick. "Haven't heard about that."

"Up there." Andrew pointed to the sky. "In the ruins of Junius 7. Among the terms that they've are the restoration of Orb and USSA independence. Plus, they've added a clause that formally includes the recognition of President Harper's administration and not President Chua's, though he's residing in San Francisco."

"That's a shame." Rick huffed.

"But look on the good side." Kira smiled. "They did recognize the EU's neutrality and made it clear that they won't interfere anymore."

"Sounds like good news." Rick rubbed his hands, slinging his duffel bag on his shoulders. "So what happens now?"

"We celebrate." grinned Haruna. "I just booked the place that we can go to for lunch." Haruna said, leading the rest of the family and group towards the parking area.

"Um..." Lacus went to ask Rick, but he stopped her.

"I bet you're asking me if my mates are joining up." Rick said, walking alongside the former pop idol. "I told them and most of my mates are sympathetic with your views. They've joined up as well with me."

"That's good to hear." Lacus nodded, a smile in her face while tucking a strand of her hair behind her right ear.

* * *

Watching the happy family (and friend) reunion, a familiar brown-haired woman looked upon somewhere in the outskirts of the Quirino Grandstand area. Wearing a blouse and jeans, some strands of her hair were being blown by the wind.

_I... _The woman was a bit happy for Rick's reunion with his family. But something has still lingered inside her.

_Ricky. _Her heart pounded upon seeing Rick shoulder his duffel bag and leave the outskirts of the Quirino Grandstand area to the parking lot.

"I love you, Ricky." She whispered, crying softly and covering her mouth while sniffing.

_Ricky, I'm in love with you...  
_

* * *

Somewhere in Manila, Philippines, Equatorial Union

"Excuse me sir, I need to ask you something."

Nahe Herschel, seen in the streets of Manila, asked a gentleman in a business suit on the sidewalk a day after arriving in the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, asking about the civil war that ravaged the Equatorial Union for two months.

"Civil war? Are you bloody crazy?" The man said, raising an eyebrow at Nahe. "It's been over for a year now."

"What do you mean?" Nahe asked. "I was suppose to..."

"Volunteer?" When the man saw Nahe nod, he sighed a bit. "I'm sorry, lad. But the rebels under the Equatorial Union Reformed Military or EURM have already won. President Harper is now the president of this country."

"Wha..." Nahe was at a loss of words.

"Good day to you, young man."

_What? The civil war's over! _Nahe sighed hard, running his left over his hair. The word out from the man's mouth was not good for the Mars native.

With that, he shouted his frustration out without caring if anyone would look at him.

"DAMN YOU!"

* * *

Outskirts of University of Onogoro, Somewhere in the United Emirates of Orb

6 months since March of 72 Cosmic Era, Rick was now in his first year in the University of Onogoro. Wearing a white shirt, jeans and brown hiking shoes and his backpack slinged on his shoulders, the former NSF Guardsman was reading the Orb Inquirer, with part of its frontpage covering a familiar story.

"Nice." grinned Rick. "They happen to be covering it."

"Rick!"

Rick waved out to Murrue, who was waiting for him with a sedan.

"Murrue." Rick waved to her as he walked close to the woman. The two exchanged hugs.

"How was your first day in Political Science?" asked Murrue, smiling at her new boyfriend.

"Boring." Murrue looked at him with curiosity. "What?" Rick raised an eyebrow. "I bet I can do a better job than him."

"Even if you're on scholarship, Ricky." Murrue grinned, slightly shaking her head. "Come on. You can place your bag in here." Murrue guided Rick to place his backpack in the backseat.

"Thanks. You're a big help." Rick entered the front passenger's seat; Murrue entered the driver's seat.

"So how are you today?" Rick asked his girlfriend, smiling.

"Great." Murrue smiled back. She reached out to touch Rick's cheek. "It's because you're here."

"Yeah." nodded Rick. "I'll be here 'till the end of the month."

"That's great." Murrue then allowed her left index finger to trace around his face 'til it reached his mouth, making her smile more at the young man. "That means I get to see you more."

Since the two started to see each other, word got out to Kira and Lacus first. The two wished them well in their relationship. Rick found it strange that Haruna and Caridad accepted the relationship that the two were having, even when Caridad said that Rick should "follow his heart."

"Isn't that what couples should do?" Rick grinned and chuckled simultaneously.

"Dummy." Murrue leaned in to kiss his cheek. "Hey, do you still remember the time when we said goodbye when you were 10."

"Still do." answered Rick. "I remember that I asked you if I would see you again?"

"Well, did you?" Buckling her seatbelt, Murrue stared at Rick's brown eyes.

"Yeah." Rick gulped his saliva. "I remember saying I believe that I'll see you again."

Murrue started to cry a bit, but kept her smile up. "And we did, Ricky. We did see each other again after a long time."

"No need to cry anymore, Murrue." Rick dusted off a tear from her left eye. "Let's go home."

Murrue softly took his right hand and placed on the gearstick with her left hand over his, shifting it to Drive mode before placing her left hand back on the sedan's steering wheel. Murrue then drove off from the driveway of the university.

Looking at the left side mirror of the sedan, Rick thought he saw the vision of his late parents, waving goodbye with the younger forms of Rick and Murrue with them when the two of them were 10 and 18 years of age.

"What are you doing?" Murrue asked, seeing Rick wave goodbye.

Embarrassed, Rick replied to her. "Nothing."

But his smile was still on his face, unaware to be seen by his girlfriend.

"Nothing at all."

Rick and Murrue were now ready.

Ready to start another phase in their lives when the two have found each other after years of being together in the Equatorial Union.

THE END

PS - Right. I'd like to thank the reviewers for sticking with me, especially RVD, The Watchers and Solid Shark. Though SS gets first credit for inspiring me to do an Area 88 story. Really, I'm serious. Lately, I've watched Sukeban Deka and read a scanlation called Highschool of the Dead. Might integrate the former into my fanfics later on.

Oh, if you can guess who the brown-haired woman is, you get brownie points for doing it.

To those who placed me in their favorites and alerts, thanks too. Though I'd love to hear from you peeps too.

Short of plans, I'm doing a one shot of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex with a Saito story in Mexico. It should be up in a while after I post this. After that, I plan to do the following one shots:

Black Lagoon  
Fate Stay/Night  
Ultimate Force

Afterwards, a planned Resident Evil/Spriggan with follow, with the backstory of Jack Krauser and before he met Wesker. Spriggan and You're Under Arrest stories should follow.

My next big story is trouble, but I seem to have preferences for...

Full Metal Panic!  
Full Metal Alchemist  
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex

For that point, let me know what story you want me to do from the three suggested above. Except the one shots since I'll do them anyway.

However, the biggest one I plan to do is about the End of Evangelion story, but will multiple crossovers from mangas to TV shows. Basically, an anti-EOE ending as these guys/organizations will fight back the JSSDF.

I'll end it here. To all readers, please read and reviews. Thanks and I'll see you in another fanfiction story here in mates!


End file.
